The Bird in a Cage
by Hiei's Cute Girl
Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.
1. Prologue

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**A new story! Wow, and this one is NOT a one-shot! Is anyone else surprised? I am! It's an **_**Alternate Universe**_**, of course, but I'll stick to most of the details within the books and the movie. For the most part, I'll stay faithful to the characters, but there will be notable changes is Calcifer, Sophie and Michael given that they do not live in a magical sovereign kingdom. **

**I hope everyone enjoys the ride along with me! Also, I'd like to note that you should expect short chapters. I'll stay within the limits of under 3,000 words, though some will not even go over 500 at times. REMEMBER, this will be LONG.**

**Also, I'd like to note that the story is basically COMPLETE. All it needs it a few careful passes with the editing comb, and it's basically done. Since its set in March, I decided to publish it. I AM A GENIUS!**

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**Prologue**

Footsteps echoed fleetingly down the hall and Lizzy looked up from her monitor, pushing her fashionable spectacles higher up on her nose. She batted long lashes, but for naught. Blonde hair and colorful tailored suit trailing past as her boss rushed by in a flash of long limbs and ocean eyes. In a matter of seconds, even his footsteps were gone, leaving faint echoes of a 100-meter-dash tattoo. In the office across the hall, same distance from the elevator, dark eyes came up at the sound of running.

"Brace yourself," the man at the desk warned in a voice that drawled and not a moment too soon. The door thundered open with a bang and a swirl of musky cologne, the flutter of sleeves pattering along the resulting slam when the tall bodyguard caught the door with a single hand.

Annoyed black eyes landed on his dramatic partner, a disgusted curl of lips heralding a thorough scolding. The COE rushed in like a damsel in distress, tears trailing down his expressive face.

"Calcifer! Oh, Calcifer!" The Vice-CEO looked on, unmoved, for he was used to Howl's unchanging tendency to blow everything totally out of proportion. His bodyguard closed the door to give a semblance of privacy and Calcifer sent him a grateful look. "Calcifer, it's horrible!"

Knowing Howl since boyhood did not make dealing with his theatrics any easier, but it certainly served to make him rather predictable. Calcifer merely raised a scarlet eyebrow, aware the faux blonde would get to the point soon enough. A few seconds of false starts and babbling went by as Howl floundered for words, but he finally managed enough coherence to make himself understood between soulful pants.

"This," said he amid sobs, raising an envelope to his best friend. "On my desk, since I arrived…" Patiently, Calcifer allowed him to fumble before the blonde man's usual eloquence failed him completely. Miserable, he simply offered the red haired male the missive, ducking his head and sniffling piteously.

Michael, previously ignored after shutting the door, stepped forward to take the envelope with a gloved hand. Ever the professional, he studied it closely and opened it carefully. Calcifer watched with keen interest and his eyes narrowed shrewdly when Michael flinched away from what he found inside.

"Show me," he ordered imperiously and Michael outstretched his hand his way. Calcifer withdrew a box of latex gloves from his top right drawer and slipped on two before handling the plain white enveloped and examining the Polaroid inside, gently extracting it to get a better look. He snorted openly at what he saw, eyes flashing dangerously. "If this is a joke, it's very poorly done."

Howl's chin came up then, and despite the tears, Calcifer could see the warring halves of anger and fear in his face. "It's hardly a jest, Calcifer."

A dry look was sent Howl's way, but the red-head refrained from commenting anything sardonic when his friend had every right to be snippy and melodramatic. As rare as this was, it worried Calcifer deeply that someone would send a threat this serious. Howl, as a wealthy leader of a company that dared to invent many a wonderful and innovative machines (among other things), was threatened on a regular basis. More so when the damnable man was an active and flighty philanthropist of the worst kind. Angry husbands and ex-lovers were a common sight haunting the main building or calling in hopes of venting their grievances to anyone willing to listen. Letters came in droves in the bottommost levels, but they were always handed directly to the police and carefully filed and reported to avoid tiresome lawsuits and expenses. It troubled the Vice-CEO that this threat had not gone through the channels at all, but had been dropped directly on Howl's desk.

Sharing a glance with his body guard, Michael came forward and took the Polaroid away, tucking it back into the envelope. "I'll make some inquiries and ask for security footage of the office, corridor and elevators for the last forty-eight hours," he said, fiddling thoughtfully with the missive, nodding primly to his boss and heading for the door. Already, he was pulling out his phone, ready to dial the department downstairs to ready the tapes for him.

Calcifer stopped him short, calling him back to the desk. "Before that," once he gestured toward the chair, Michael sat down in a way that reminded Howl this man was a professional fighter. "We'll also have to contact the police. Use our labs first, of course, and compile a file for them, but we must let them know at once. As for security footage, go further back, for comparison's sake on anomalies. Three weeks, if you please, so we may make note of all routine movements. Bring back your notes, so we may compare between our appointments and make sound judgments on who was not meant to be here and when."

Howl sat looking immersed in his thoughts. He'd always left the administrative smarts to his more logical counterpart, believing the area tedious and a total bore. He specialized in creating, engineering and moving to new heights. He could usually be found in his office only in the evening, drawing away new and radical inventions to mass produce. The sunlit time of day he spent gliding between labs, construction sites and side-by-side with his workers, elbow deep in grease and/or some other gunk Calcifer would wrinkle his nose at. Howl had always been extremely self-aware and vain, but once his head started spinning and whirring, the man tended to forget himself and whatever unfortunate set of elegant designer clothes he happened to be wearing. (After many ruined, expensive silk chemise, suits and pants, Calcifer had a uniform made for the working section of Pendragon and Co. to avoid further infractions against beautiful clothes made just for Howl.)

Turning to face the rather young bodyguard in his chair, Howl hummed. Cocking his head just-so to the side and lowering it a bit, eyeing the other man through black lashes, Howl paused contemplatively. Michael opened his mouth to speak but Howl shushed him by merely raising a slim, artful hand. Piercing blue eyes with a hint of devilish green swirled and froze him in place, reminding Michael that this man was currently one of the most powerful men on Earth.

"As a professional bodyguard, what course of action would you suggest I take in regards to my safety?" Howl questioned, his entire body frighteningly still. Had Michael not witnessed the man's earlier fit, the younger male would have felt the oppression of Howl's gaze to be entirely suffocating. As it was, the brunette found it incredibly hard to breathe as his entire body reacted to the feeling of being hunted by a large, ominous predator.

"Prevention is key when it comes to serious threats like this one," young Michael enunciated with care. "More than just an investigation, you need protection. Not the undercover kind, not when it comes to something of this magnitude, but someone with a fearsome reputation and power to move in the darkest places."

Seeming to come to a decision, Michael nodded to himself and glanced between his boss and Howl, trying to stress the importance of his words as he spoke slowly.

"You need the _Mad Hatter_."

**To be Continued…**

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**Is anyone else as excited as I am? Probably not, only in my mind would a butt-kicking Sophie exist, but I think she was plenty badass in the books and the movie. Basically, it's almost the same story-line. A threat to Howl, Sophie barging into his life and turning it upside down, and querulous struggle between two very powerful figures…**

**Probably, I don't know. Let us see, shall we?**

**Michael is referred to as **_**Michae**_**l instead of **_**Markl**_** because I want to mark the difference between the boy in the movie and the young man in the book. Unlike in my previous One-Shot, I'm going to glean most of the references from the books. Some facts shall stay within the bounds of the film, but for the most part, it'll be the book. The difference in how I call Michael is among the most noticeable changes. If you pay close attention, you may catch even more!**

**Words: 1,220**

_**Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Critiques are welcome, flames will be fed to Calcifer and praise will make my head large enough to have its own moons.**_


	2. Invitation to Tea

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

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**Chapter One  
Invitation to Tea**

It wasn't until many hours later, well into the afterhours at Pendragon and Co. that Calcifer called for a meeting in his soundproofed office. Howl arrived, extravagantly dressed and well perfumed. The red-head rolled his eyes, recognizing the signs of Howl on the prowl. It annoyed him, but only because Calcifer had never been interested in relationships or women. Extremely ambitious and single minded, the slightly younger man had never indulged in the company of a woman, either casually or in a serious romantic affair. Thus, the fact that Howl would spend precious time (and time is money, after all) irked the ever practical Calcifer.

Howl sat and smiled winsomely at his partner. The curtains were drawn and the setting sun dashed over Calcifer's natural red hair and dyed golden highlights, making the Vice-CEO's wild mane into a living fire, swaying with the gentle breeze from the central heating system. Having grown up with flighty Howl, Calcifer had quickly joined in coloring his hair during his 'rebel' years. Unlike his best friend, Calcifer was too narcissistic to truly dye his hair completely, but he had occasionally given strong, whacky highlights to his hair, giving it an incredibly bright quality, especially when he had turned it blue and green along the scarlet red strands. His favorite, and thus far his permanent look, were the bright yellow stands that made his hair look like the warm flame in the winter hearth. It amused Howl the red head seemed to be almost as vain as he was, though in a completely different way.

The door clicked and Michael stepped in, pulling his phone away from his ear and shutting it with a click. He nodded toward both men already in the room, pocketing his phone. "I called Master already," he informed them, coming closer to sit down as well when Calcifer gestured for him to do so. "He said Maddy should be home by tomorrow at the latest after the mission in the States."

"Maddy?" Calcifer asked, raising a single brow imperiously. Michael nodded vigorously, a smile quirking the edge of his lips, a rare sight for their usually somber bodyguard.

"Yeah!" He said, looking younger by the minute as he threw his arms akimbo, not realizing he'd almost smacked Howl across the cheek in his exuberance. "That's what we call her back home, apart from Mad Hatter. Though don't do it to her face, she'll get _so_ mad!"

A breathless pause… and Michael's smile began to fade, glancing between Howl and Calcifer with doubt creeping into his gaze.

"Erm… what?" he asked, hunching his shoulders slightly as he recognized the incredulity written all over Pendragon and Co's leading men.

"_She_?" Calcifer asked, looking a little more uneasy when he heard that. Michael's brows came down rather ominously and a snarl curled his lips, reminding both CEO and his second in command that they were dealing with a well-trained man.

"Yes, so? She's the best there is, with the ribbons to prove it. Getting her as a bodyguard would be the greatest thing that could ever happen to you," he defended her strongly, crossing his arms and tilting his chin in a defiant gesture. "Master can confirm it, if you like."

Calcifer didn't know how to spell out his fears of how women were basically useless when Howl sauntered into the room. Look at Lizzy, their secretary. The woman had arrived at the company as a demure woman with a fiancé and had been completely transformed into a bold, slightly slutty version that chewed gum, wore too much make up and twirled faux honey blonde hair around her index finger. Now the woman was single and pining after her boss, she had become a burden rather than an asset in a matter of months. Having a woman, who could beat the bejeezus out of them, was like inviting a large and dangerous predator into the room, then promptly dressing in clothes made of raw meat and lying still on the floor.

Howl's mind was on a different tangent. "Who is Master?" he asked, leaning in and already dismissing the fact that the alleged Mad Hatter was a woman. Currently in the midst of wooing another female, he had no interest in her whatsoever.

Michael spared him a glance as another smile graced his face, this one a little more toned down than his earlier grin. "Master Benjamin Sulliman, of course. He owns the agency that leases bodyguard contracts. You've met him before, Mr. Howl."

Howl hummed, cocking his head a little to the side before his eyes brightened, sparkling like jewels as he recalled the somber man who'd arrived alongside Michael the day the boy had come to be Calcifer's protector. "Of course! How silly of me to forget!" he laughed loudly, throwing his head back. Michael gave him an odd look then shrugged, turning to face his boss.

"The police have been called and the envelope has been handed over. We already have the file ready for them and the tapes as well. We've caught a few people who were not meant to be here, but for the most part, it's all pretty routine. They're already starting to interview people, as well. I've set you the videos so you may look over them as well," the boy listed from memory, nodding to himself. Calcifer clicked his tongue but smirked in approval.

"Good, good. Now, onto the matter at hand… Mad Hatter… you said?" the undeniable curiosity that suffused his countenance surprised Michael, for he'd never seen Calcifer look so interested in anything. Usually, the man pulled off a great many things without even appearing surprised, taking in the world with an apathy that used to make Michael nervous about working under such a serious man. In reality, Calcifer was actually as feline in his wonder for the world, but at the age of twenty-seven, not many things surprised or awed him now. Presented with something like a female bodyguard, a rare specimen, brought back the almost baby-like excitement over something new.

"Her name's Sophie Hatter," he explained, sitting back to recline in his seat. Howl stopped looking out to the sunset to watch the younger male, bright eyed and just as interested as Calcifer. "She's been in the business for a long time, though she's only three years my senior."

"How old is she?" Calcifer's warning glare registered, but Howl dismissed it with ease of long practice.

"She's twenty, of course. Do the math, sir." Michael looked a little offended that Howl did not know his age, but he felt a little appeased when shock danced across Howl's face. Calcifer laughed this time, enjoying his best friend's surprised expression. Michael thought he heard the fiery red-head mutter 'priceless' under his breath, though he did not understand why Calcifer had said so. "She'll be here Monday at the latest."

Calcifer shook his head, lips thinning to a grim line. "No," said he, voice hard. "She should be on assignment as soon as she lands. We cannot wait for her to take her time."

An indignant noise made it past Michael's lips before Calcifer raised a hand to explain himself.

"The Witch is back."

**To be Continued…**

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**I was thinking of leaving her out for at least ten chapters before introducing her, but then I realized, why the heck not? Whether or not she's behind the attacks is for you guys to decide, teehee!**

**We'll see how me trying to be sneaky goes. Probably not very well, knowing how I am.**

**Words: 1,200**


	3. The Raven and the Writing-Desk

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Ben Sulliman is hard, but I like him, he's even more pedophilic than Howell.**

**And yes, it's all set in Wales. I'm horrible at this, so if I get anything wrong, do speak up! I'll fix it as best I can.**

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**Chapter Two  
The Raven and the Writing-Desk**

The trip to Kingsbury Manor was a long one, with Michael driving, Calcifer in the front and Howl sprawled across the back seats, snoozing. He'd been quite upset at being dragged away from his dinner date, but once they managed to convince him, he'd slithered out of his engagement with magnificent ease, making Michael think very little of a man who could lie so easily to a woman.

Master Sulliman's abode was a long ways from the city, set in a quaint little village called Ingary. The entire place had been bought by the man very long ago and built to his pleasure, smaller houses surrounding the stately mansion he liked to call a home. It was actually quite a ways away, a little north from rural Llanarth, the road giving away to softer, dark dirt that was typical in Wales. Their own base further inland and the drive should have been much more tedious, but Michael was a daring driver and this late into a Thursday evening, there were almost no other souls this far out into the countryside coastline.

Instead of taking a few hours, it merely took one for them to be buzzing the intercom at the front of the gates surrounding the large estate, turning from Cristal Court Street. Surrounded by an entire, beautiful village and wide spans of grass that went on for miles, it almost looked like a castle fit for a king. The door swung open, revealing a well paved road leading up to the house.

The wide street was lined with the most darling bushels of crocus, hyacinth, and narcissus, spilling onto the road in bright colors of the sweetest shades of pink, purple and white. The scent of flowers filled the night air, accompanied by the musky aroma of wet soil, pine and cherry blossoms. Like snow, petals scattered in the breeze, passing over their windshield like a fleeting lover's touch. Howl sat up then, taking in the splendor with wide, yet serene eyes. He observed the large, ancient trees, the looming lamps that lit their way and the ribbons that hung from them, fluttering a welcome. Michael drove slowly along the path, which soon widened into a roundabout with a fountain in the center, a place for cars to either park or drive along and head back to the entrance and out into the cottages just beyond. The fountain was enormous, a circular pool sat at the bottom, almost brimful of clear water, with the figure of a great lady in the center. The statue was beautiful, her arms sweeping and her dress long, her hair pulled up as her face was set in a fierce expression. The bow and arrow in her hands, pointed toward the entrance, were strung back, poised and fearsome. She looked like a huntress and Howl smiled as he stepped out of the vehicle, reminded strongly of a lovely Greek goddess.

Michael led the way toward the main door, falling into the role of host once he arrived home, though the door opened just as he reached to turn the knob.

"Markl!" The person on the other side exclaimed, a curious lilt to her voice as the woman jumped out through the threshold, practically tackling the young man to the ground. She smiled and laughed gaily, almost beside herself with happiness. Michael looked embarrassed to be caught in such a situation before his bosses, and the amused glint in Calcifer's eyes told him he would not be able to live it down for many weeks.

Pushing her away, he made a face, though he was just as glad to see her. "Martha, please!" She stepped back, pouting prettily and dropping her arms to her sides, fiddling with the dress that hugged and complimented her figure.

"Oh, Markl, you're such a baby," she scolded furiously before turning to the other two men. She gave Howl a dismissive cursory glance and then turned to Calcifer, who grinned crookedly. "What amazing hair you have!" she blurted, staring openly at his wild, untamed head of flaming curls.

"Martha!" someone inside cried, scandalized at the younger woman's behavior. A dark head popped out and Howl felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the next young female. Martha had hair the palest shade of gold, but the new arrival had dark red curls of the deepest mahogany, framing a heart shaped face to perfection. This new woman bowed, smiling in a way that made Howl forget his newest conquest. At least, until she urged them to come in and he spotted a ring on her finger, proclaiming her as taken. "Do come in, Ben is expecting you, gentlemen."

Her casual use of Sulliman's name rang a bell in Howl's head and he could see Calcifer arriving to the same conclusion. He also tried very hard not to laugh then the red-head mouthed 'cradle snatcher' in his direction, because it would not do to offend their host.

Martha fell in step with Michael, taking up his hand despite his complaints. Howl thought Michael looked quite pleased despite all of his cantankerous exclamations and he supposed his female companion knew it too. The woman ahead of them introduced herself to be Lettie Hatter Sulliman, and Howl perked up at the mention of the name Hatter. Putting two and two together, he asked. "Martha, yourself and Miss Sophie Hatter are all sisters?" though both Martha and Lettie looked almost nothing alike, their manner of walking and the contours of their faces were much the same. Though their colors were different as night and day, one could see from afar these two girls were siblings. He wondered if the third Hatter sister was just as lovely.

He seemed to have struck a happy topic of conversation, for both Lettie and Martha beamed like children on Christmas morning, obviously proud to be related. "Why yes! You're very observant, Mr. Jenkins! Sophie is our eldest, I'm second and Martha is our youngest."

Martha was nodding vigorously, something Howl recognized in Michael when the boy got very excited and forgot his taciturn bodyguard persona. "It's thanks to Sophie that we're here, after all!" Lettie sent her a quelling look and the youngest Hatter quickly slammed her mouth shut, mumbling an apology between clamped teeth. Calcifer looked between the sisters and Michael felt a shiver run up his spine when a Cheshire-Puss like smile curled thin lips, highlighting Calcifer's pale complexion starkly against his bright hair.

Howl patted his partner's shoulder, a silent signal, and followed his hostesses, listening to them point out many features of the beautiful house with a polite ear. They gestured toward the grand ornaments, the chandelier, the paintings of great artists long since dead, and the musical instruments that lined the walls… decorations that spoke of wealth, culture and taste. Howl could only walk past them in disinterest, though his own home was similarly furnished upon Calcifer's insistence. Howl almost never went home, though, feeling cold and desolate in an environment manufactured to impress snobbish wealthy people into investing more money into his brain child of a company. Instead, Howl preferred to live in a studio apartment he'd purchased in the downtown area, closer to his and Calcifer's offices and full to the brim of trinkets and toys he'd loved as a child and loved still. His favorite stuffed animal sat crowned among his pillows… which was why Calcifer had a dual home of mansion proportions built for the two of them, to entertain guests and to keep Howl's rather immature tastes out of sight.

Howl was aware what all of this was meant to do, especially when he realized they'd already circuited around the house three times. He had not expected Sulliman to be like this, but when he got a good look at Lettie's calculating expression, he realized it was not the man of the house… but its mistress. Smiling airily, he nodded, allowing his boredom to show plainly on his face.

Lettie's eyes narrowed and she finally led them from the main hall to the study, taking great pains to show them she'd not been intimidating them on purpose while trying to prove that they had a lot to fear from a man who could amass such a large fortune. Beside him, Calcifer looked beyond amused, and Howl begged whatever gods may be to make his friend keep his big mouth shut.

Somebody must have been listening, for Calcifer did not utter a single sound.

Lettie guided them to a door at the end of a hall, the walls lined with portraits of heroes and battles past in ancient Wales, every now and then punctuated by a vase of colorful flowers artfully decorated and arranged. In spite of it all, Howl was impressed.

Despite the size of the house and the number of ornate vases, not a single petal was on the spotless floor.

Martha skipped up to knock, a male muffled voice quickly permitted them entry, and she happily opened the large wooden door. Lettie stepped back, clearing the way and gesturing for them to go inside. Calcifer nodded toward both women and went in, soon followed by Michael. Howl smiled at his hostesses, bowed and sashayed into the room, enjoying the looks of feminine rage of Lettie and Martha's faces.

The door slammed closed, though stifled by the rubber mechanisms made to cushion the oak.

Benjamin Sulliman smiled in a pleasant way and asked them to be seated. Howl and Calcifer did as they were bid, but Michael remained standing, scouting the room surreptitiously. Ben's gaze held approval and Michael blushed to the roots of his hair, though he still refused to sit.

The worldly air about Ben made Howl's lips curl winsomely and he bent forward to shake hands, clearly taking a liking to the older man. Calcifer noticed this but did not move to mimic his partner, notorious in his refusal to share something as simple as a handshake. Howl's eyes seemed to apologize, but Ben waved a dismissive hand, understanding.

"So, it seems you are in need of my services again, gentlemen." His voice was soft and smooth, with the hint of a Welsh accent beneath the curve of his vowels and the pronunciation of his 'r'.

Calcifer took the lead, as usual, while Howl looked around the room with interest, drinking in the books that lined the walls, the maps, the sheer amount of file cabinets and the beautiful tea set arranged over Benjamin's desk. "Yes, Howl has been threatened in a manner most unusual and I am afraid he will need more than the usual brand of protection the majority of agencies like yours provide." He began, nodding regally as he brought out an envelope from his inner suit pocket. "Michael suggested a woman named Sophie Hatter to be in charge of Howl, so we have come to you for advice on the matter. I have brought a copy of the Polaroid sent to him for you to observe, for the real one is in hands of the police."

Ben exhaled from his nose thoughtfully and reached out in silent plea for the envelope. "It left no message?" The red-head handed it over without hesitation.

"None other than the picture, sir," Calcifer confirmed. "There were no prints on it either, except Howl's and Lizzy's."

The master of the house nodded, bringing out the picture to peruse. His face did not change, though Calcifer could see a slight furrow in his brow. "Your company keeps a careful filing of all threats, does it not?" Again, Calcifer answered in the affirmative, and Ben looked up from the picture. "Most gruesome, I understand why Michael would suggest Sophie to protect him."

Laying out the photo, Benjamin gestured Calcifer closer. "Do you know what this means?"

Calcifer sat up to look, following the path of Ben's finger. A twist to his lips in consternation appeared when Calcifer realized he had not spotted that detail before. Despite his careful and deep observation skills, the red-head had also been a bit put-off by the imitation of a gruesome death featuring his best friend. The copy-cat in the picture had been completely cut open, displaying his innards, which were arranged around him like a bloody halo. Made to look like Howl, his hair had been dyed (though honey blonde instead of Howl's pale chick yellow hair) and cut just so, the strands of sliced hair littered around the body. His eyes had been pulled out and he was lying in an imitation of Howl's clothing, arranged willy-nilly, like he'd been pushed off a building and just never got up. Beneath his right arm was the inscription Calcifer never noticed.

"I'm sorry, no, I do not…" he began, sitting back down and looking straight into Benjamin's eyes.

"_He who catches a falling star, o heartless man. Your heart shall be mine._"

Calcifer looked at his friend in shock, but Howl was not facing either of them, instead gazing out the window, watching the flight of fireflies. Among the long stalks of grass in the side gardens, they twirled in a dizzying dance of courtship, twining around each other. A corkscrew of light that swirled like small stars, fallen from the sky in a tragic tale that ended with a fleeting death once their mission was accomplished.

Judging from Howl's earlier distress that morning, Calcifer was surprised the other man had managed to swallow his fear and cowardice when he'd seen the photo enough to read the ancient inscription. Howl was not even looking at them, and he'd known what Benjamin meant anyway. These were the moments that reminded Calcifer that Howl was a genius beyond compare, though thankfully they were rare and few in-between.

Benjamin was smiling kindly, though it was a little subdued from the tension that hung in the room like a large elephant. Calcifer was darkly pleased the man knew, at least, how to read the atmosphere. "You know who sent this?"

Howl shook his head, propping his chin onto his fist, still staring out the window and following the choreography of the fireflies. "No," he said simply, and then added. "Though I've heard that verse before."

It was then that Calcifer blinked, something in his mind clicking. "Oh! I've heard it too!"

Benjamin looked between the two of them, and both leaders of Pendragon and Co. felt the weight of his gaze like an anvil. He brought the photo closer and studied the message once more, his brow fully furrowed, hooding his eyes in shadows. "This is most intriguing indeed. I believe your desire to have Sophie on the job as soon as possible is arguably the best possible venue." He finally raised his eyes again, and they were even more piercing than before. "She will be arriving tomorrow, though I'm afraid her schedule is already half taken up by a previous engagement."

Calcifer seemed to take offence to this, clearly reading in Sulliman's words that the man was dismissing Howl's safety. Howl turned to placate his friend, but the red-head would not be consoled. "Why I never!" he began, puffing up like a fire that had been recently fed large amounts of wood and oil.

Ben brought his hands up, a gesture that did little more than fan the flames of Calcifer's righteous anger. "Good sir, I did not mean to offend you." Said he, clearly remorseful about his poor choice in words. "For you see, Sophie will be busy this month, but not due to another assignment."

Michael piped up, putting a hand on his boss's shoulder to try and get him to calm down. "Oh! That's right! The tournament starts on Saturday!"

"Quite," Ben agreed, happy to have an ally. "She's competing in the annual MMA tournament in Cardiff."

"I thought it was going to be in Merthyr," the boy challenged, racking his memory. Ben shook his head, pleased that the tangent made Calcifer simmer down and keep his temper.

Calcifer still looked ready to blow him a new one, should Michael ever let him rise from his seat. "Why should a tournament ever be more important than a human life?"

Howl seemed to be preparing to clap a hand over his mouth, but Benjamin Sulliman was not about to allow a mere child to upset his own cool and collectedness. "Sophie has a heart as soft as butter, I'm afraid. The prize is a hefty sum of money and she always donates it to the Orphanages in the county."

Calcifer could feel Michael shake and he filed away that information for later, a look of calm passing and settling in his face. His businessman persona had won out the battle between his emotional one, clearly taking charge as he realized he still had an opportunity to negotiate around the issue.

"We have offices in Cardiff that need visiting," Calcifer intoned in his most professional voice, the only apology Benjamin was going to get for his outburst. "If Howl keeps close and does not interfere with her work, would that be enough to ensure her services?"

Benjamin nodded, agreeing and falling easily into his own rhythm as a successful owner of a bodyguard agency, Porthaven Protection. They began to argue terms, considerations and prices, quickly getting to doting every 'i' and dashing every 't', drawing up a contract. Before long, the meeting adjourned successfully, Benjamin leading them back to his house's door, promising to send word to them once Sophie got home.

Just as Howl was climbing into the car, old Ben placed a hand on his arm. "Mr. Jenkins… _why is the raven like a writing-desk_?"

Howl's answering smile was blinding and he responded with a laugh as he settled into the vehicle. "_Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front_!"

The door slammed and the car drove off, skimming into the gloomy darkness of the night.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Ingary is an imaginary town, though Llanarth is not. Llanarth is a real town in the northern coasts of Wales, small and rural; I thought it would suit Ben to be out in the wild in the lap of luxury rather than caught in a city of concrete.**

**Martha calls Michael **_**Markl**_** for a reason, though I'll probably never come-round to explaining it. **

**There is also another movie reference. For those who caught it, well done! For those who did not, look harder. It'll be easy to find, but it's up to you to decide whether or not it's a red herring. **

**That **_**riddle**_** was originally made to not have an answer, but through pleading and guesses, the great and wonderful Charles Dodgson gave in. In some editions of the books (in my own copy it does), it appears in the PREFACE as such:**

_**To The**_

**EIGHTY-SIXTH THOUSAND**

**Enquiries have been so often addressed to me as to whether any answer to the Hatter's Riddle can be imagined, that I may as well put on record here what seems to me to be a fairly appropriate answer, viz. "Because it can produce a few notes, though they are **_**very**_** flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!" This, however, is merely an after-thought: the Riddle, as originally invented, had no answer at all. **

**Words: 3,000**


	4. The Dormouse

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Quite short, references to Howl's nickname for Sophie, first meetings gone wrong. **

* * *

**Chapter Three  
The Dormouse**

The first time they met, there was a fence between them and she was less that presentable. Having just arrived from the United States and having headed toward the preliminary rounds in Cardiff directly after landing, Sophie looked dead tired. Dressed in a simple cotton sleeveless undershirt and comfortable sweatpants, she looked more like a hoodlum than a personal bodyguard. He spotted her from his place among the crowd next to Calcifer and her sisters. Both Ben and Michael were up by the stage, whispering to the woman with reddish-gold hair, fierce eyes and a stubborn set to her jaw.

Even from afar and in frumpy clothes, she was gorgeous.

When her opponent stepped up and into the ring, Sophie became a veritable goddess of war, face stony yet frighteningly beautiful in its power. She was offered protection by her mentor and Michael, but she refused the gear, instead facing the man on the other side nude of cushions for the blows his cocky brow promised.

The bell rang like the toll of Big Ben and Sophie disappeared in a flash of pastel cadmium, almost transporting below her opponent's guard. A nasty right hook nailed him under the chin, sending him back a single step and giving Sophie room to bring up her left leg in a kick that snapped across his face like a whip. He sailed across the air, a weightless piece of paper, already unconscious by the time he struck the ground.

A beat of silence then the deafening roar of the crowd shook the entire arena, people standing to clap, hoot and holler at the one fighter they'd all come to see. A chant picked up, but Sophie only blushed and hunched her shoulders, heading toward the exit. Michael and Ben met her there, the boy almost beside himself as he praised her while Benjamin was more subdued in his compliments, though not a bit stingy with them.

Howl could see the approval in Calcifer's gaze when their eyes met, though he felt doubt creep into his mind when he saw the fearsome she-warrior replaced by a small mouse in the shell of a woman. _This_ was the woman meant to protect him? It terrified him to think so.

When he managed to push his way to greet her, he was surprised by the strength in her eyes. It gave him hope, though the cursory glance and the way she turned away to dismiss him made his ego want to crawl under a hole and never emerge.

What was with these Hatter women and their cruelty?

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I am aware there is a large MMA crowd in Wales, but I do not know if they have mixed matches between male and female categories. Where I'm from, only during the yearly Expo are men and women allowed to compete side by side, otherwise, it's a separate event altogether. **

**For the sake of the story, let us pretend they do allow men and women to compete. Why? Because I want to prove that Sophie is the best against everyone, not just other women. For the most part, it's pretty surprising when a girl can dole out a good beating in general, but it's even more appalling when she can put down a man. Since this chapter was meant to prove that Sophie is a capable bodyguard, I decided the pit her against a guy.**

**I'm sneaky like that.**

**Words: 430**


	5. Treacle-well

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Short! Plus possible love-hate beginning and guffaws. **

* * *

**Chapter Four  
Treacle-well**

Sophie took an instant liking to Calcifer that got on Howl's nerves. Unlike most women Howl had met as he breezed through life, Sophie would not have given him the time of day had she not been charged with his safety. Instead, she seemed to focus on Calcifer to make her days with him bearable.

Calcifer had gleefully laughed about it in his face several times.

She seemed to tolerate him well enough, given that he'd basically moved to Cardiff to give her the chance to compete in the tournament, but that was the only point she had in his favor. Had Howl not known any better, he'd think she'd be happier if he was murdered! He'd sulked about it for the first few days, unused to the cold treatment from his stoic yet beautiful bodyguard.

"You're one lab accident away from turning into a super villain," he told her once.

It had half surprised him, half pleased him and half annoyed him when she burst out into a fit of giggles for fifteen minutes straight.

Howl wasn't quite sure what to make of this, but one thing he knew for sure: he liked her laugh much better than Calcifer's.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I did say there would be short chapters! Though I can _almost_ promise this will be the only one so short. I don't like writing small, bread-crumb chapters… they annoy me. **

**Words: 200**


	6. Have some wine

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Deep secrets and hints like sprinkles on my donuts. **

* * *

**Chapter Five  
Have some wine**

In a matter of days, they had fallen into a comfortable routine. Howl had happily moved into his Cardiff apartment with all of his many toys, only receiving a few eye rolls from Calcifer, who'd let the apartment next door.

Every morning, Howl would exit at eight from his rooms, walking into a well-lit kitchen with Sophie already indoors, preparing his breakfast. She'd taken the task without being asked, though Howl did not feel like discouraging this enthusiasm. He'd then happily eat, freshen up and head for the office, dressed his best and with plenty of swagger. Instead of heading for the upper floors, like Calcifer, he'd flit in the lower levels, chatting with staff and tackling the troubles alongside the architects and engineers working on projects. It had surprised Sophie that Howl knew everyone by name, treating them in such a courtly manner than everyone looked torn between feeling pleased and embarrassed by his attentions.

By evening, he'd take the elevator up and stick himself in his office, drawing and designing for hours.

Sometimes, he had meetings; other times, he'd spend the entire day up in the office. On rare days, he'd saunter into Calcifer's office and bug the man until he was soundly rebuffed and exiled. For the most part, he stuck to a pretty predictable schedule, and this worried Sophie.

A predictable target was an easy one after all, and her job as a bodyguard would be made tougher. She'd seen the picture and it had chilled her to the bone. The police had already found the body and confirmed that the alterations had been unnatural.

One night, on their way home, Howl insisted on walking. Despite all of her protests, he won the argument and haughtily walked ahead of her, head held high. She stayed back a few paces, but close enough to remain a threat to any who walked past her charge. It was not enough to stop the one woman who shouldered Howl, sending the poor female sprawling onto the ground.

Howl was instantly down on his knee, apologies spilling like tear drops from his lips. Sophie felt her lips thin as she stepped forward to take care of the problem, but Howl put his hand up, stopping her. Rage like none other welled up inside her and Sophie's pride came up in defense. With ease, she turned away and decided he could take care of himself against a female attacker, if he was so determined to die.

An exchange was made and soon, a time was set. Sophie's blood boiled when the woman managed to wheedle a date from Howl and something inside of her roared like a beast unleashed, because it told her this woman's little tumble was no accident.

"I beg for your forgiveness like a gentleman. Please, Miss Angorian, might I have your number?" Howl asked magnanimously, and Sophie rolled her eyes expressively. The woman tittered and blushed, but a gleam in her eyes almost gave the silly game away.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**The sprinkles! Oh, the SPRINKLES!**

**Taste the rainbow, people, please. **

**Words: 500**


	7. No Room!

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Howl is an idiot and Sophie does not care enough to meet him halfway. Calcifer just enjoys the show.**

* * *

**Chapter Six  
No Room!**

Glancing between them, Calcifer and Michael were like spectators of a spectacular tennis match. The ball of conversation was passed back and forth with great enthusiasm, the opponents well matched in a battle of verbal wits. It was rare for Howl to be so vocal (or Sophie, for that matter), but they seemed to clash like titans and their inner voices were dragged out like molars to be dried under the sun.

Michael was becoming jittery by the second, his hands raised in a gesture that seemed both fearful and reproachful toward the snarling couple having it outs in Calcifer's office. Howl had barged in not long ago with Sophie on his tail, looking blue in the face from sheer rage. Howl had appeared a little un-kept as well, with windswept hair and an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes.

For a moment, Calcifer had feared for his life.

Until the shouting match began and the reason for their early morning bout came out in a confusing tumble of words that took the red-head a while to figure out.

One: Howl was apparently going on a date.

Two: Sophie objected to this.

Three: Howl objected to Sophie's objection.

Four: Sophie was not to come with.

Five: Howl did not like the idea of a chaperone.

Six: Sophie insisted…

The most interesting insults were flung like food in a high school cafeteria war, and Calcifer was mentally writing down some of the more creative ones. It was surprising that Sophie could go toe to toe with Howl in one of his moods, but she seemed to be the most artistic person in the room, using the foulest, most colorful curses in her repertoire to shut down every one of Howl's attacks. Like a systematic game of chess, she completely overpowered Howl until she'd shut him in a corner, leaving him no choice as she rounded up on him like a particularly vengeful harpy, eyes flashing like steel under Calcifer's bright office lights.

"Either I go with you or you are not going, and that is final, Mr. Jenkins." She dutifully informed him with a smug tilt to her chin. "I am in charge of your safety and I will not allow you to play with your life willy-nilly."

Howl puffed his cheeks comically, a signal that Calcifer recognized impending defeat, but the glint in his gaze told the story of an ace up his sleeve.

"Fine," he conceded, allowing the words to escape between clenched teeth. "But if you're going, you're dressing appropriately."

Sophie saw red, but she knew an ultimatum when she heard one.

"Fine," she snarled in his face and followed him out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Michael was silent for a moment, staring at the door before he turned to his boss, giving him a speaking glance of utter and total incredulity.

"Was that… did he just..?"

Calcifer shook his head, his own dark eyes wide with surprise.

"Don't say anything, Michael." He ordered.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**One way or another, Howl always gets his way, does he not? Calcifer had learned to anticipate him, but Sophie has yet to learn. **

**Poor girl.**

**Words: 500**


	8. You might just as well say

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Really short installment… and with so much fluff I could make my very own pillow and bed set.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven  
You might just as well say**

Howl stopped walking, looking back to spot Sophie almost a block away, crouching and peeking into a dark alley. Trekking back with a downward curve settling into his lips, he soon came to stand beside his bodyguard, propping his hands on his hips, splaying his fingers as he stared her down reproachfully. In a tone of great scolding, he spoke with dissatisfaction at her, obviously annoyed. "Why did you stop?"

She looked up at him and her eyes gave him pause, so large and mournful she looked light years younger and very frightened. Her bottom lip jutted out and she lowered her head, cradling something to her chest. A long-suffering sigh escaped him and Howl gestured with his hand. She looked back up at him, down, and then back again, obviously conflicted. She must have decided to trust him, for she unfurled her hands and showed him the whippersnapper of a cat curled against her chest, mewling weakly. The kitten bobbed his head, still young and hardly able to see, small claws catching the thin threads of Sophie's shirt.

The young woman turned up to him, tears in her eyes. "I can't keep him, my landlord forbids pets…" she said, face tragic.

Something in him broke and Howl succumbed, flexing his fingers invitingly as he counted backwards in his head to avoid letting loose whatever temper was gathering just at the edge of his throat, eager to jump out. _Hell's teeth, woman!_

His heart was as soft as butter, it seemed, at least when it came to this slip of a girl. "Might as well," Howl mumbled under his breath, before adding a little louder. "Mine does not."

The smile that lit up her face was worth every minute of listening to Sophie baby talk to the newly christened Midnight.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I'm not a terribly clever person, but I managed to sneak in a few goodies from "A Castle in the Sky." Safe to say, I feel accomplished.**

**Words: 300**


	9. It was the best butter

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Dresses and a Pretty Woman reference.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight  
It was the **_**best**_** butter**

Now, not only were they shopping for a new dress for Sophie, they also had to take a trip to the local veterinary's office for the sake of the kitten. It had annoyed Howl to the extreme, but he took it in stride when Sophie was practically shaking with the desire to protect the wee tyke. Like any creature presented with the warmth of motherly love, Midnight had taken to Sophie like a charm, curling up in her hand and protesting loudly when the vet extracted him from her embrace.

The visit took mere moments and a small trade of cash, purchasing goods (milk formula, bottles, a litter, a small bed and a scratch post) and knowledge on how to successfully feed a cat that young. Midnight had suffered the whole exchange quite vocally until he'd been returned to Sophie, settling down with a contented purr and promptly falling asleep.

The doctor had declared her a natural and Howl felt doom on his shoulders when Sophie beamed like a beacon in the night.

Soon, they were back on the street, Howl carrying multiple bags to spare Sophie the trouble. She had smiled at _him_ for the second time that day, and again, Howl forgave her everything.

Stepping into the closest boutique with rows of gowns, they had been nearly turned away due to the presence of the cat in their midst. It was not until Howl flashed his gold credit card that the women allowed them in, hustling and bustling and buttering them up like any good vendor at the prospect of a wealthy customer. Sophie had half a mind to walk out the door, but Howl insisted, ensuring this was the best shop to be found.

It wasn't until she extracted a promise from him to take care of Midnight that she relented, and she carefully placed the kitten in his lap. To their amazement, he merely mewled briefly in discomfort at being moved and curled into a small black ball, satisfied and asleep in seconds. She'd then been led into the back room, a saleswoman already toting a large number of dresses for her to try.

A parade soon followed, Sophie showing and twirling and stumbling in dresses as colorful as the rainbow. All were the latest fashion, with low cuts, high skirts, wide openings and itchy fabric. One look at Sophie's face told Howl exactly how she felt about each dress, and she was less than pleased at every one. It wasn't until almost two hours later of constant prancing, Sophie near her breaking point, that the perfect dress came along.

A buttermilk dress with long sleeves and a wide skirt that curled around her legs with each movement. It was as daring as it was conservative, a controversy that made Howl's head spin as he watched, completely caught by the way it made her eyes jump and her hair burn. The high neckline ended with a prim white collar and a broche of ruby red, plus the staff had found her a pair of white boots that peeked shyly from under the skirts. They had even given her a hat to go with that, making her look like a blushing country girl of years long since come and long since gone.

Then she smiled and Howl knew this was the dress. His heart came undone and he stood, cradling the kitten close and he glided towards her.

"This one?"

The smile did not vanish as quickly as the others and a blush spread across her cheeks, enchanting Howl like a powerful spell.

"This one it is."

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Anyone spotted the HMC movie reference yet? If you do, you get a cookie. I'll probably end up baking for each and every one of you, since I'm hardly smart enough to make anyone run in circles.**

**Words: 600**


	10. I don't see any wine

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Feminine anger and a cat fight.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine  
I don't see any wine**

Miss Angorian made it no secret that she did not like the idea of Sophie intruding on their date, but a Mexican Stand Off between them only showed who had the highest will power in the room. Sophie won, and Howl marveled at how pleased she looked to have bested the other woman. Miss Angorian looked dashing in her purple dress that hugged and slid like the finest silk, but Howl knew quality when he saw it and this dress certainly wasn't.

On the other hand, Sophie's dress whispered like a thousand voices, smooth and shiny in its creamy butter shade. Her dress, her tasteful make-up and her thousand yard stare all bested the other woman… and Miss Angorian knew it.

Howl tried to dissuade a fight in front of the restaurant by wrapping Miss Angorian's arm around his own, pulling her into the piano music and the scent of crêpes in the restaurant. The low lighting and the grand pianoforte gave the place class, even more so when the woman who met them at the door spoke in flawless French. Fluidly, like he'd been born in central Paris, Howl answered and requested his table, soon lead to it with his party. Sophie very nearly pulled away, so as not to intrude in their date, but Howl's smile urged her to stay at his side.

So she did.

Conversation flowed easily despite the presence of a bodyguard third-wheel, and Sophie dined alongside them without speaking a single word. Mainly due to her own need for propriety rather than a favor to the unpleasant Mademoiselle Angorian, but the woman in purple appreciated it with smug glances sent her way anyhow. Howl smartly chose to not speak unless spoken to, though Sophie was interested to note the man refrained from answering anything remotely personal. It seemed he was very good at slithering out of a great many things, though this time it amused her rather than exasperated her.

The evening ended and Sophie escorted Miss Angorian to her car while Howl paid the tab, chatting animatedly with the doorman as he exited the restaurant. The woman drove away with a promise of a second date in her fist and a pleased curl to her lips, but Sophie felt her heart beat faster as something within her recognized a wrongness in the air.

She saw the threat and reacted before her mind even knew what was happening. Like many times before, her muscles moved at a lightning speed, triggered by the sense of Howl in danger. The man was looking her way, smiling airily and raising a hand to wave her close, blind to the biker speeding in his direction. Howl never even saw her move, one moment she was before him with a terrified expression crossing her face then her skirts smothered him as she jumped, meeting the biker in the air like a ballerina performing a graceful tumble. Her leg shot out in a blinding strike, smashing into the dark helmet of the driver just as his bike rode onto the sidewalk.

Howl had the sense to step back, though only in reaction to having Sophie's skirts in his face. Already, Sophie was on the ground, pinning the attacker with a white boot on his neck, the other resting on the hand that held a knife. A slim cut appeared on her cheek, made from the sheer wind that battered her face when she'd catapulted into the attacker's path. Like a terrible goddess, she stood over him, eyes dark and cold as she considered snapping his neck under her foot.

Howl's hand came to rest on her elbow, drawing her away from her gruesome thoughts as he looked into the eyes of the would-be assassin.

"Let us call the police, Sophie," he urged, willing warmth into her cadmium eyes. His touch worked like a charm, and she blinked owlishly at him, as if coming out of a long trance. With a nod, she assented, though she did not remove herself from the man that had tried to kill her charge until the police arrived, urging her to please let the man up, he's turning purple!

With a huff, she relented… barely.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**If anyone has ever read Tokyo Crazy Paradise, I think you'll be able to compare Sophie's fighting style with Tsukasa's. I only just realized it, but Sophie is just as uncommonly fast and fierce, often compared to a deity when she'd in the ring. Perhaps I had the comparison in mind all along? Am I a genius?**

**I doubt it, but I like to assume that I am.**

**Words: 700**


	11. Well in

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Angry Howl and Welsh curses. **

* * *

**Chapter Ten  
Well in**

The ambulance had arrived along with the police, but they were fiddling their thumbs until Howl saw the cut across Sophie's cheek. Then, all hell broke loose.

Practically dragging his bodyguard away from her chat with the police explaining the events, he shoved her into the medics on-scene and snarled in their face like some daunting Cerberus. "She's hurt. _Fix it_." Sophie doth protest too much, methinks, but she was promptly shoved into the ambulance, the medics dressing her scratches and pulling up her skirts to see the damage to her leg. When a large bruise bloomed against peach colored skin, Howl almost went ballistic.

"You see? That's what you get for kicking a man on a moving vehicle! What would have happened if he'd been going faster? You could have been seriously hurt! Are you insane?" It was Sophie's first time seeing him so flustered, but his accusations awakened and fanned the fire in her. This, of course, led to a shouting match that had the paramedics clamping hands over their ears to try and ignore the squabble.

"I'm a bodyguard! You pay me to protect you, you moron! It's my job! He was going to kill you!" She snapped right back, a grumpy down turn of her lips. Then, the medic moved her leg just so and she winced visibly, adrenaline no longer able to block out the pain of having smashed a helmet in two with the force of 180 km/hr coming at her. The paramedic informed her she might have fractured it, though he could detect no serious damage.

Howl lit up like a bonfire fed gasoline, despite the presence of media filming the scene. "_Arglwydd mawr!_"

As he berated her in lapses of English and Welsh, she remained silent, looking down at her knees. When the first teardrop fell, Howl paused in his tirade. When more followed, he faltered with a slightly panicked look in his eyes. Floundering, he tried to get her to look up, completely at a loss of what to do. When she finally did, he was both surprised and having a conniption at the sight of tears rolling down her cheeks like precious jewels.

"The dress..!" she breathed between shaky exhalations, looking so tragic his heart broke. "And… the fight tomorrow..!" She took a deep breath, the beginnings of a true fit Howl recognized from many years with his sister.

Something inside of his told him there was no going back as he took up her hands, looking into her eyes and begging her to focus on him. "The dress will be fine, we can get it cleaned and perfect in no time. As for the fight, as long as you don't use that leg for a while, you should be able to avoid further damage. And they don't have you go through a full physical, do they?" She shook her head, thankfully maintaining eye contact. It was the first time Howl had managed to convince her to stare straight into his eyes and it pleased him greatly.

"As long as you take care of yourself, it should not be a problem." The paramedic looked ready to protest, but Howl stopped him with a sharp look. "We'll need some cream for that bruise and a thin, plastic cast to help the bones heal. That should be more than enough, yes?" Grudgingly, the paramedics acknowledged this to be the truth and Howl nodded, taking charge of the situation. He turned to snap at the police, ordering them to get tapes from the restaurant and the street cameras, to take the knife to evidence and to stop dawdling and take the man downtown! This appeared to offend the officers, but the tone of Howl's voice brooked no argument and they scattered like ants to do his bidding. He then turned to the media and gave a quick, snippy statement about what had happened, turning away and asking the police to block them from the scene.

Once the medic had put her leg in a small, maneuverable cast, Howl was stomping back. His expression was thunderous and Sophie could almost smell the electricity crackling in the air, potent and angry. He took the prescription for the cream from the paramedic then her arm, pulling her up to standing position and leading her to his car. She'd limped a little, but the medic had fed her a good dose of morphine to keep the pain away. He shushed her complaints as he opened the passenger's door and helped her inside, closing the door and heading towards the driver's side.

The ride home was quiet, and once they climbed out of the car, Sophie nodded and stepped away to leave and take the bus home. A hand on her arm stopped her.

"Stay."

So she did.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

_**Arglwydd mawr! **_— **Props to Caudex and Iolanthe 8 for introducing this incredible Welsh Oath, check out their stories "Embarazada" and "Rags of Time", they are AMAZING.**

**Sophie (the lady) doth protest too much, methinks.**** – From Shakespeare's **_**Hamlet**_**, Act III, scene II, spoken by Queen Gertrude.**

**Words: 800**


	12. You ca'n't take less

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Nudity and masculinity… and it's short.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven  
You ca'n't take **_**less**_

Taking the guest room across the hall, Sophie curled up under the covers, dressed in one of Howl's old shirts and shorts, though they didn't fit and made her look like she was a little girl playing dress up with her Mam's clothes. Swathed in masculinity and the scent of clean clothes, Sophie fell asleep pretty easily, though her mind troubled her sleep with nightmares. The most haunting ones were of what could have happened had she not reacted in time. By morning, she was more exhausted than before and she crawled into the bathroom, tip toeing by Howl's room. The man was a light sleeper, despite his love for dreaming his days away.

As she bathed, a shrill alarm sounded, startling her. It sounded several times before she stepped out of the bath, though it finally went quiet just as she pulled one of the large towels hung in the rack around herself. She began to dry her hair with one of Howl's smaller, pastel blue towels. Unannounced, the door that led directly to Howl's room creaked open, and the blonde stumbled inside for a brief moment until he spotted feet and puddles. His nose twitched, catching the smell of his shampoo in the air and looked up. Comically, Sophie reacted first, blushing to the roots and shoving him out the door with hurried exclamations of "it's occupied" and "get out!"

The blonde stood outside having just been exiled, a hand over his mouth as his own blush spread. He was no virgin, but he was also very much aware of the boundaries of his and Sophie's relationship. That flash of flawless skin and silky hair turned his world topsy-turvy, obliterating the careful balance he'd sought to keep and he knew he'd just taken more than he could chew.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**It's almost like a **_**shoujo manga**_**, is it not? Howl is by no means a little boy, he's nearly thirty and fully grown, but I think a man who loves women would need to construct a careful boundary in order to keep away from his terrible yet wonderful bodyguard.**

**Keeping things civil between a man and a woman in a contained environment can be pretty difficult. They managed well enough, until the breaking point arrived.**

**Midnight is somewhere, but it would have been excessive to include him when it was not strictly necessary.**

**Words: 300**


	13. Which is just the case with mine

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: On orphans and kittens and butter-soft hearts.**

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**Chapter Twelve  
Which is just the case with **_**mine**_

"You found a cat?" Michael exclaimed quite loudly, making Calcifer shoot him a glare from where he sat signing the latest projects of investment. The young man did not seem to care, instead rounding up on Sophie, who smiled and nodded. The boy had been quite beside himself when he'd seen her hobble in with a cane in her hand and clothing that was clearly not hers, but it seemed very apparent that the news of a kitten christened Midnight grasped his attention even more.

He'd, of course, been suitably worried for Sophie, but when she told him it would last no more than a week or two, he'd relented and allowed her to change the subject… which led to cats. He would have been more than glad to comment on the clothes and the cane (both courtesy of Howl, which was what Sophie was so desperate to keep under wraps. However, memories of the morning would come unbidden and make her head spin), but Sophie refused to comment on either.

Calcifer gave Howl a surprised look, but the blonde remained adamant in staring straight at the contract. His cyan eyes were not moving a single millimeter and Calcifer hid a grin.

"Yes," Sophie affirmed, "I found him in an alley, all alone and I…"

Michael's voice grew soft and vulnerable, his hands groping at the air feebly before he reached out and took Sophie's hand. His eyes were soulful and Sophie was deeply reminded of a time so long ago, when he was young, shivering, and just as helpless as the kitten. "May I go see him?"

Sophie took up his hand, a warmth and strength to her gaze reminiscent of a large, proud mama bear. "Of course." Midnight had taken up shop in Howl's office to minimize his time without proper supervision, since he needed to be fed every hour or so. With a nod from their respective bosses, the bodyguards left, though Michael seemed to toddle after Sophie, grasping her hand like his life depended on it.

Seeing Howl's confused expression, Calcifer sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"You should learn to read personal files, _Howell_," he scolded, but relented and informed him. Exasperation colored his tone, but Howl knew to look past the bluster and spot a man who empathized and sometimes cared too much. "Didn't you know? Michael's an orphan… and Sophie's the one who found him."

**To be Continued…**

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**Backwards from the original story, but I like it this way. Serves to explain Michael's awe of her, doesn't it?**

**Calcifer has a heart as soft as butter too, it seems, though he disguises it better. These characters just write themselves, I swear. They are deviating too much! **

**Words: 400**


	14. Beat time

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Fights and bruises and girls who have backs made of steel. **

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**Chapter Thirteen  
Beat time**

It was finally Monday again, and for the second time in March, Howl and Sophie stood divided by a fence that rattled and shook with the power of the crowd's enthusiasm. Sophie stood in the very center, taking it all in, and Howl could almost see how she gathered her courage, transforming from a little, fearful mouse into a warrior-goddess. But the transformation faltered and almost came undone when another woman stalked into the cage, sashaying confidently toward her.

Howl almost felt his soul shatter when there, in the cage, stood the world famous Witch of the Waste. Of course, the moniker was merely a nickname, but the infamous lady earned every letter of it. The terrible curl of her lips made the blonde want to hide behind Lettie or Martha, who stood ramrod straight and angry. Michael reached out to grasp Martha's hand, but the girl didn't even seem to feel it, completely focused on the woman who circled around her older sister like a vulture. A questioning glance sought Michael's eyes, and the boy surged forward to answer his call.

"It's not exactly a secret," Michael began, though the guilty downturn of his head revealed it was a matter most avoided speaking of. Calcifer, on his other side, leaned in to listen to what Michael tried to stage whisper among a hollering throng of bloodthirsty fans. "Sophie and her sisters… their father was a gambling addict. He died when Sophie was thirteen, landing his debt on her shoulders. Their mother tried her best, but she ended up passing away from starvation. The Witch, his sole benefactor… she did what she usually does to those left behind. She put Sophie in the ring and put a gun to the younger Hatter's heads."

Howl's eyes were wide and horrified as he listened with dawning comprehension. Sophie, at the tender age of fourteen, had been pitted against people three times her size and her age. She'd fought with a desperation borne from the driving need to protect the only family she had left, her sisters' survival depending on her every victory. The Witch amassed more money that she could have dreamed of, watching in awe as a little girl brutalized her opponents just to keep her sisters alive.

"Sophie lasted almost five years in the ring," Michael shook, like he was reliving every event in his mind. "She got a reputation of 'Mad Steel Hatter', because no matter how much they beat her to the ground, she always got up."

Tears welled and fell freely, the boy looking a thousand years younger as he fisted his hands, shooting daggers with his eyes at the shark in the ring with the woman he considered a sister.

"But the Witch didn't want to let Sophie go; she won a lot of money and it would mean a huge loss. Sophie had long since paid her father's debt, but the Witch kept finding new reasons to keep her, even going as far as closing every job opportunity Sophie tried in order to pull out of the Dark Tournament."

Martha had turned then, a stubborn set to her jaw that reminded Howl strongly of the woman standing in the ring, surrounded by the black shadow of her past. "Benji came then," she told them, eyes glittering like diamonds. Rock hard and steely, Lettie turned and showed that the Hatter sisters were indeed stronger than they looked.

"Ben always scouted the Dark Tournaments for new bodyguards. Those who lived a life of scum often take the chance at a better life and appreciate it more than others. But what he saw that day made him change his mind." She turned back to look at her husband, who stood beside the ring, his head tilted in a way that told of the temper simmering under the calm surface. "Sophie fought against a monster that day, and he nearly killed her. She just kept getting up… she…" Lettie couldn't keep going, but she trusted Martha to carry the torch.

The youngest Hatter did so, her golden hair seeming like a living whip when she snapped around to face the Witch, hatred in her gaze. "That woman planned to have that man murder our Sophie. A police raid had been planned that day and they rushed in, arresting everyone… but Ben, who had been their inside source. He vouched for Sophie, and us. He gave us a home, a second chance, plus… he put that bitch in jail. I don't know why she's back, but she can't hurt us anymore."

Up onstage, Howl felt his heart swell when Sophie bared her fangs, coming to stand between her family and the Witch of the Waste. Eyes flashing and turning almost black from anger, she spat fire in the form of curses, pushing the suddenly not-so-smug woman away and out. Stomping back to the center of the ring, she snarled her challenge, looming over the crowd like a thunderous sky. The Witch turned away, but not before catching Howl's eye. Instead of cowering away from his once-lover, Howl smirked and tilted his chin.

The Witch turned away, auburn hair fluttering like a banner of war behind her.

The first match came around with the ring of the bell, and Sophie, in all of her anger and adrenaline… she ended it with the snap of a finger. Landing gracefully while her opponent flailed and slammed into the ground, Sophie stalked the perimeter of the ring. Like a tiger in a cage, her head was lowered and there was danger in her gaze, snapping in flames that consumed. She exited the ring when other fights took place, but since this was only group B; her turn came around soon enough. Her second opponent lasted even less time in there, unconscious before he smacked into the chain fence.

But Michael and her sisters were jittering with nervous energy. They could only repeat in soft voices, "She needs to calm down, she's fighting sloppily."

When the third and final opponent stepped in to fight, Howl could feel the tension freeze the air. Not a single person moved when the bell rang, all voices strangled by the power resonating between the two combatants. In the center of the storm, Sophie and her female opponent stared each other down. The other woman was tense but confident, watching Sophie with hawk-like eyes.

Sophie, still angry, attacked first, snapping a roundhouse kick to the other woman's face. The woman ducked and slid easily to the ground, stretching her right leg and knocking down Sophie's base limb. Like a badly situated jenga tower, Sophie toppled to the ground, arms spreading out to protect herself from the woman's second attack. The dark haired woman had jumped into the air with amazing speed and brought her elbow down, trying to drive into Sophie's defense.

To her credit, Sophie caught the blow and threw her opponent away from herself, using her right hand and shoulder to roll under, up and away from the other woman in a show of amazing acrobatics. Michael sighed with relief when he could see Sophie's pale cadmium eyes return to normal, cool and calm as she assessed her opponent silently.

The other woman had turned and landed in a crouch, craning her neck to look at Sophie. But Sophie had taken her moment of inattention as an advantage, catapulting against the fence and using it like a jumping board, hurtling high in the air and heading straight down to land over the other woman. Like any fighter, her opponent shifted her weight and kicked upward, trying to drive her foot into Sophie's stomach.

Howl held his breath, and almost didn't believe it when instead of crashing abdomen first into the other female's outstretched foot, Sophie did the impossible.

She _twisted_.

Using her momentum, Sophie spun into her opponent's guard and slapped the woman straight across the face with the back of her hand. The force of the blow toppled the dark headed woman and she landed heavily against the floor of the ring. The referee began the countdown, and Howl felt the world come into a strange sort of focus as his vision narrowed, hearing only the voice of the man and his own heartbeat.

_Nine!_

The woman's arms shook as she tried to push herself up, but the strength of the blow and the fact it had struck her ear as well made her body falter and fall right back down, ending with Sophie's victory. The referee lifted Sophie's arm and the crowd erupted like a volcano, cheering so loudly that even Calcifer stumbled, disoriented by the noise.

Howl surged like a wave to meet the victorious Sophie, now the champion of group B and moving on to the second stage of the tournament. Benjamin was already at her side, berating her for allowing her emotions to control her fight. Sophie was nodding and smiling apologetically, though soon she was trapped in Howl's embrace as he tackled her and danced around with her. She yelped indignantly, but the rosy tint to her cheeks told a story of enjoyment rather than embarrassment.

Lettie and Martha were with her in a heartbeat, taking up her hands once Howl allowed her free from his restricting hug. The happiness that shone in their gazes made tears spring from Sophie's eyes as she apologized for making them go through this once more. Neither sister accepted her remarks, waving them away as they soundly kissed her cheeks and shushed her. Michael came next, talking so fast Sophie looked a little lost, but Calcifer took care of it by landing a hand on his bodyguard's shoulder and raising a single, mocking brow.

Michael fell silent and Calcifer winked, warmth in his dark eyes and a secret to share. Sophie blushed and nodded, thankful.

Howl cheered and magnanimously decided to take everyone out to dinner. The rest found his idea agreeable and took advantage of his foolish charity, demanding the most expensive restaurant in town.

Sophie pushed them all out, shaking her head and calling that she'd be with them in a moment.

In her locker room, bequeathed for the night by the tournament committee, she found the Witch waiting. Despite her age, the woman was handsome, her posture and the elegant curl of her hair making her look grand. Dressed in the finest silk of the darkest shade of coal, the Witch smiled a welcome with blood red lips.

"Please, do be seated, Maddy." The woman invited, gesturing toward the chair opposite of her own. Sophie remained standing, just for the sake of being contrary.

"I would prefer it if you left, ma'am," Sophie returned, opening the door to allow the other woman to show herself out. The forced politeness of her voice provoked a grin most unpleasant to curl the Witch's lips for the second time, and the Witch took up her purse from where she'd left it.

The woman stood, towering over Sophie in her slender heels. "You cannot be rid of me so easily, girl." There was a threat underlining those words, but Sophie was no longer fourteen, mourning and deep in debt. Fully grown and confident, the young woman the Witch had known to be a mouse faced her with squared shoulders and pursed lips.

The tilt of Sophie's chin was defiant and her gaze was straight and true, piercing the Witch like an arrow. "Watch me, Witch."

The tall woman smiled, like a cat amused by the futile struggle of a rodent beneath its paws. She swept to the threshold in a whisper of fabric and rosemary perfume, gliding as elegantly as the Queen of England.

"Oh, and Maddy…" She turned, eyes glittering beneath the brim of her black, wide hat. Sophie felt something inside of her freeze, but she refused to give the damnable woman the satisfaction. "Say hello to Howell for me."

The door slammed closed in her face with the finality of the last fight's bell.

**To be Continued…**

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**Half has come out, but we still have a few holes to fill. I think most of you probably already suspected some of this, but I prefer to assume you do not and that I was clever enough to keep it a surprise. Probably not.**

**The conversation at the end is parallel to Sophie and the Witch's first conversation in the movie. I feel delighted to have been able to play with it!**

**Words: 2,000**


	15. I breathe when I sleep

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Short chapter… and enough fluff to choke a dragon the size of Mount Doom. **

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**Chapter Fourteen  
I breathe when I sleep, I sleep when I breathe.**

When it came to sleeping habits, Sophie and her charge were as different as night and day. Howl was as lazy as a cat and seemed to enjoy long hours of sleep and waking up well 'till the sun reached its zenith. Calcifer usually took great pleasure in waking his friend through mischievous means at ungodly hours of the morn, but on his days off, that fierce best friend of his left him to doze well into late morning hours, until his stomach deemed it time to roll out of bed and fetch some brunch.

Sophie, on the other hand, had prided herself in her discipline ever since she was a little girl. The rigors of waking up at the crack of dawn, tending to her sisters, training, schooling, and housework came as easy as breathing to her. It pleased her to be useful, gave her something to do and less time to think. Of course, she continued this habit well into her years of adulthood and still remained to this day a habitually early riser.

Today, however, was a day after a fight. The release of adrenaline when fighting against an equal, the nerves of displaying her talents before a crowd of strangers, the motivational hunger to win and earn her keep (the force of motherly-like instincts to keep her family from starvation)… they drove Sophie to the brink of exhaustion. Depleted of her usual endless well of energy, the aftermath usually ended with an unusual result… Sophie sleeping in.

Since she'd gone with Howl directly after her fight in the district tournament's first three sets, sweaty and disgusting, thus her boss had insisted on taking her to a supermarket. She and Howl lived on opposite ends of the city, and after the motorcycle attempt, Sophie had argued she'd stay nights with him as well, for his safety. However, she'd miscalculated the amount of clothes she'd need and ended up without a set of clean underclothes to wear. Now, more than ever, in need of something clean to slip on, Howl had promptly taken her shopping.

It had been embarrassing for Sophie, but Howl had been enjoying the scandal, daring and right in the thick of things as usual, perusing through the rows of women's underwear hung all around him like a parade of silk, cotton and wool confetti. In the end, he chose the set he pleased, paid and drove them both towards his apartment, laughing all the while Sophie lowered her head and muttered choice words in Irish about propriety. Once home, Howl had basically shoved her in the shower with her new underoos, one of his sleeping shirts and a pair of shorts he'd worn as a child he'd never been able to throw away. He'd then crawled into his bed, already refreshed, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Though he'd argue quite soundly that Sophie had needed the clothes, had Calcifer been there, he'd know the black haired devil of a womanizer had done it out of a darker pleasure. Some deeply rooted pack instinct within him purred contentedly; satisfied at providing the female he was vying for with what she needed most at the moment. No matter how much humans distanced themselves from other mammals, when it came to courtship, they still acted in a similar manner. Protecting the interests of Sophie made something in the recess of his being smile like a pussy cat. Plus the fact he'd gotten an attractive set of panties and bra to go with his wild imagination… though he'd never admit to that out loud, for the risk of Sophie taking a roundhouse kick to his head.

Sleep came easily then, and Howl had fallen into the world of dreams long before Sophie tiptoed out of the bathroom door, haloed by the bright light and plumes of steam rising from the now-empty tub.

Having seen her employer so innocent in his bed, Sophie had come closer and allowed herself the small gesture of exasperated affection, brushing a stray strand of jet-black hair away from his eyes. Then she'd walked away, flopping into bed and promptly falling asleep in seconds, exhausted.

The next morning, Howl had been the first to rise and began making breakfast for two, amazed he'd woken well before eight o'clock. Despite his uselessness when it came to cleaning, Howl was actually a decent cook in his own rights, managing to break eggs with a single hand and whip up a mean muffin should the need arise. The scent of bacon, coffee and pancake batter drove Sophie out of her near death-like sleep, crumpling out of bed and basically stumbling like a meandering zombie toward the tantalizing scent of food.

Howl had turned to her with a grin, a "good morning" already dripping from his lips pleasantly. He froze at the sight of her, suddenly unable to form coherent thought as the young woman literally dropped into one of the comfortable chairs around his kitchen table, smiling sleepily his way as she rubbed her eyes and blinked adorably.

He'd never seen her hair loose before and taking it in now, falling freely in a tangle of reddish-gold curls, curves and wisps… it made his mouth run dry. It was actually rather long and wild, glowing with life as it weaved prettily around her slim face, framing her bright eyes and making her skin gleam beautifully. Dressed in his clothes, the shirt too big, the shorts too small, one slim shoulder peeking beneath the tumble of copper hair with deep gold highlights; she was a goddess to behold. He gulped with effort and smiled winsomely, knowing the image would be forever burned into his retinas.

How he wished, ever so desperately, to wake up to such a sight on a daily basis. Turning back to breakfast, he vowed, with a determined light in his eye, to never let another man see her in all of her morning glory.

"Coffee?"

Her slow smile sent his heart into full gallop.

**To be Continued…**

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**Ah, the joys of the morning glory.**

**Remember, when Howl saw her in the shower in chapter 11, Sophie was toweling her hair. Thus, it was down, but covered as she dried it. Obviously, this IS the first time he's seen it loose. **

**Words: 1,000**


	16. Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Routines, more answers and the why's of black hair. **

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**Chapter Fifteen  
Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!**

Other than Calcifer's comically delayed reaction to his newly dyed hair (Howl took great pleasure in surprising people), the day had crawled by rather slowly. With his workers all organized, all out of fresh ideas, and no meetings to attend to… Howl merely sat at his desk and went through all of his pending e-mail and business.

Meanwhile, Sophie sat on the sofa, reading a book as she petted the steadily growing Midnight, who purred up a storm as he slept soundly on her lap. Howl took a moment to appreciate the way her hair shone in the evening sunlight, gleaming more red than gold. A pang of guilt vibrated through him as turned to watch the colorful sky, painted pink, red and orange by the wavering glow of the near-setting sun.

Fingering his newly darkened strands, he heaved a great sigh. He wanted to badly to tell Sophie everything. This slip of a girl was unlike any he'd ever met before. She'd told him, on the drive back home, about what the Witch had told her. It shook him when Sophie spoke his true name, curling his toes and making his heart weigh like a thousand anvils raining from the sky. Before they went shopping for Sophie's clothes, they'd stopped at a salon, where he roused the personnel and paid extra for their services, promptly dying his hair a raven black that brought his eyes out like jewels.

His fear had been clear on his face and Sophie had held his hand as they colored his bright blonde, tainting it and reminding him of the days when he'd been young and poor; a nobody. He had taken courage from Sophie's warm hand, appreciated it, yet he knew he was still slinking and slithering, no matter how much he thought he'd improved.

He was still a coward.

His feet had led him to Sophie's side without his consent, and soon she looked up at him, a question on her lips. Dropping onto the sofa beside her, he took up her hand, resting them over Midnight, who complained but lay still.

"I was born Howell Arthur Jenkins," he began with the basics and felt the strength to go from there when her eyes met his fearlessly, an encouraging smile tilting her lips. "My family was quite poor and Mam died early on. Tad didn't take it very well and fell into alcohol. He never laid a hand on my sister or me, but the lack of money soon gave way to lack of food and lack of home. My sister dropped school and took up a job to support us, but even then, half of it was flushed down the drain by my father. Calcifer was my rock, we'd been neighbors and he and his family took us in, though their generosity did not last."

Sophie's eyes were wide like his had been as Michael had revealed her tragic tale, though his was not any better nor any worse. In truth, thanks to the fact he was not the eldest, he'd managed to basically breeze through life. He'd driven himself to excelling in school and managed to obtain an academic and a rugby scholarship. He was thin and light on his feet, a veritable flash of lightning that sped from one end of the court to the other in seconds flat. Battered and worn, he'd become a star like none other, but he'd never had the time to enjoy it.

"Tad passed away when his brain hemorrhaged. In a drunken stupor, he ran into a door and never woke up. Meggie was so much stronger than me then. She buried him and never looked back. I hardly recovered. But I was already accepted to a university despite being only seventeen, riding on a sports scholarship. Calcifer pushed and pushed until we got accepted into the most coveted internship, together. Our thesis became our life's work and we both earned out bachelors and our masters… that thesis bred Pendragon and Co." A smile was tugging his lips, but it was merely a ghost, pitiful and derogatory in a way Sophie had never seen in Howl. "I'm CEO only because I spearheaded the drawings and creations… Calcifer's the real fire that moves this monster about. I met the Witch of the Waste, known then as Valeria, during my last semester at the University. She was beautiful, beyond anything I had ever seen…"

He paused then, unsure. Then he followed it with his true thoughts, something in his eyes telling Sophie that this was a man who'd come face to face with his greatest fears. "But she was terrible, in a way. I was attracted to her, until I realized the scam she had running. The surgical scars under her ears gave her away, and she became so very frightful when I realized the truth. She cursed me, here and back, though I know it to be unreal. Calcifer pulled me out of that mess, but that woman has always been powerful and rich. She nearly had me assassinated twice and tried to kill me herself more than thrice. Until Ben Sulliman put her away, forever to rot in jail."

He was shivering, like a leaf in the breeze, and Sophie released his hand to embrace him with a single arm. Brought so close, he could smell the scent of honey in her hair and sweet almonds on her skin. Clean vanilla wafted from her clothes, and Howl rejoiced in it, drowning in a smell he recognized to be safe. The heat of her skin made him melt against her, burrowing his face into her neck and feeling her pulse beneath his lips. Sophie shuddered ever-so from the sensation, but she allowed him to remain.

"I changed my hair-color and name to escape her," he confided, petting Midnight as he continued to take comfort in Sophie's warmth. "But I fear I cannot."

Staring out into the setting sun, Sophie swore. "I shall protect you."

**To be Continued…**

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**HAH! More secrets! We're reaching the end soon, but I have more things up my sleeve.**

**Mam is the Welsh pronunciation of Mom and Tad is the one for Dad. I'm afraid I did not research this; I gleaned it from Iolanthe 8, whose stories are like a beacon. Also, Howell is not named "Arthur" in the book. I just happen to like that name. I thought about naming him Morgan instead, after his son, but I have a problem with people who name their children after themselves, so I dumped that idea down the drain.**

**I named the Witch Valeria, after the Princess of Ingary. Why? I did not want to name her Lily, since Lily is already a character in this story, but I wanted a canon name. Thus, I went with Valeria. It's a popular name and it means "to be healthy, strong"… for someone like the Witch, obsessed with power, youth and beauty, I thought the name actually went quite nicely.**

**Words: 1,000**


	17. I mean what I say

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Drama and bromance.**

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**Chapter Sixteen  
I mean what I say**

Howl burst into Calcifer's office with his usual dramatics, Sophie rolling her eyes as she closed the door behind him. She no longer needed a cane to walk, though one could still see the slight bulge of the cast she had to wear to minimize the damage done to her leg. It was a lovely Wednesday, and though Cardiff went through fairly wet weather during the mild spring season, it was sunny and warm outside. It was rare, but the weather forecast for the day had been bequeathed the title of "no chance of rain". Flowers were beginning to awaken all throughout the city, despite urbanization, and it put Howl in a jolly mood to see color spread.

Thus, he was happily barging in to request Calcifer a night out in town. Both bodyguards protested, because such a thing made their job very troublesome, but in the end Calcifer relented. By the time Calcifer gave in, Michael was almost buoyant in his excitement for a night out. "We could go to Morgan Arcade! Oh! Or St. David's Centre! I heard they've been doing some remodeling and they've brought in a lot of new shops!" Howl went right along with him, a great yet childish smile lighting up his face.

Sophie was the only one against the plan, but she was simply swept along, now that Howl had support and his partner's permission. Calcifer shot her an amused look that hid the affection in his dark eyes. Catching on, she merely shook her head and relented. Her agreement put Howl through hoops and he nabbed her hands, forgetting himself and dancing around the room with her in tow. She squealed, snarled and slapped him away, but the blush on her cheeks told another story.

By eight, all of them were hitting the streets in Calcifer's car, deciding to leave Howl's in the underground garage to avoid the trouble of traffic. Calcifer decided to go to St. David's, driving smoothly into the second phase of the centre. None of them had eaten dinner yet and Sophie insisted on eating before they did anything else. Entering the Eastside quarter, Howl simmered with excitement, pointing out restaurants then changing his mind. By the time Calcifer snapped and told him to _just pick one, you painted prat of a peacock!_ Howl chose Ruby Tuesday, though he'd been indecisive. Michael was interested in eating at that odd place named ChimiChanga, but Sophie had quietly led them to Ruby Tuesday, eying the other eatery with distrust.

They ate with surprising togetherness, a friendly ambiance surrounding them as they talked and joked back and forth. Often, Sophie would scold Michael for his lack of manners, but the boy simply laughed it off, waving her away. Howl would distract her then, wrapping and arm around her shoulders and making a fuss worthy of a drama queen like him. Calcifer seemed to take the noise in stride, focused instead of munching quietly on his food and reading something from his cell phone. Spotting his friend's distance from the group, Howl would throw a chummy arm around his shoulders to pull him back in. Calcifer, of course, would have none of it and would primly threaten his friend with his dirty fork, driving him off and away from his person.

Sophie and Michael would crack up then; enjoying laughing at the pouting boss of Pendragon and Co. Howl moaned and spoke with great, silver-tongued eloquence on his woe, earning himself odd looks from their neighbors in nearby tables and several reprimands from the restaurants staff. The tears that sprung in Sophie's eyes from laughing too hard were all well worth the display. Howl and Calcifer shared a speaking glance and smiled in satisfaction at a job well done.

Michael was thankful both of their interests lay solely upon the creation of new mechanical wonders instead of world domination. Given the chance, Howl and Calcifer could become quite the threat.

He shuddered but grinned in delight anyway.

The table was round, laughter was abundant, and smiles were numerous. The low lighting had darkness encroaching on them… but here they sat enjoying each other's presence in rowdy companionship.

The calm before the storm.

**To be Continued…**

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**I was inspired by an episode in Criminal Minds, in which the team spends an evening together in Las Vegas in the Fourth Season, eating out at an Oriental restaurant. The wonderful feeling of friendship and the warmth of their simple gladness to be with one another… it brought a smile to my face. I wanted to similarly affect you guys, though I think I might have failed.**

**YES, both the Morgan Arcade and the Centre are real locations in Cardiff. I chose St. David's Centre because it was the one mall I could get detailed information about its food courts and entrances. In the end, I used half of what I found to describe it, but BAH. **

**Words: 700**


	18. They'd have been ill

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Skinship and falling in love… somewhat.**

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**Chapter Seventeen  
They'd have been ill**

Sophie couldn't really decipher her own thoughts. On one hand, she felt extremely cross as Howl began to roll up her pant leg… on the other, she felt her heart flutter like bird's wings, going into full gallop as his hands grazed her sensitive skin. Strong fingers prodded at her fading bruise, now turning a sickening pale yellow as his massages encouraged the skin to return to normalcy. She didn't wince, he began.

She could hear him uncap the cream he'd bought at the pharmacy, having adverted her gaze to avoid allowing him to see the blush that crept over her cheeks. Fingers became palms as he gently kneaded her calves, running his hands up and down the length of her leg. The warmth he radiated made her blush, especially when he travelled down and massaged her ankle, turning it this way and that to ensure maneuverability. Going back up, his long fingers tickled the inside of her calf, the swell of her muscle and the underside of her knee.

Hitting a highly sensitive spot, Sophie couldn't help the odd mewl that escaped her and her knee-jerk reaction, almost smacking Howl in the chin. His hands froze for just the fraction of an instant (Sophie did not even _want_ to look his way) before they resumed their work, moving to soften the skin over her shins, careful not to upset the hairline fracture in her bone. Up, over her knee, his hands came to rest around the bottom expanse of her thigh.

Had Sophie been brave enough to look, she'd seen the way his face had turned tomato red at her feminine noise and the appreciative light in his eyes when he felt the muscled undertone of her upper leg. Soft, yet it felt like he was touching skin covered steel. Splaying his fingers, he was pleased to note the way he could still wrap both hands around her leg… and the way her skin reacted to his touch. Preening, he continued to rub the cream into her leg; painstakingly making sure not a single patch of skin was left forgotten.

Grazing the bottom of her knee again, he purred when she gasped… and made another sound that made his eyes cross. Had he been honest, he'd acknowledge these nightly sessions were more for his sake than hers... but he was not honest.

And Sophie was not inclined to ask.

**To be Continued…**

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**Howl insisted… Sophie didn't refuse. I certainly wouldn't refuse being pampered in such a way by the man I loved. **

**Words: 400**


	19. Off with his head!

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Couple trouble.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen  
Off with his head!**

Howl was tiptoeing, and it wasn't for anything good.

Feeling distinctly like he was fifteen again and sneaking out from under Megan's watchful eye, he had not even put on his shoes, for fear of making a single noise. Sophie was a remarkably observant young woman and if she caught a single whiff of his plan, he knew she'd be onto him in a second like a vengeful goddess. Truth be told, she was driving him up the wall… merely by being herself. Last night, he'd gone a little far when he'd tickled her, and he'd turned to look up at her, prepared to laugh it off.

The hand that had come up demurely to cover her face, the glassy quality of her eyes and the red tint of her cheeks… they had been irresistible. She'd been staring at him with an expression he could not truly understand, and it scared him.

Thus, he was running away. If possible, he'd make it to and back from a brothel before she woke and noticed he'd run off. With that happy thought, he tugged open the front door… glancing over his shoulder in a rare show of guilt. The dark hallway provided no forgiveness and Midnight was nowhere to be found, probably sound asleep beside Sophie.

_An enviable position._

He slipped on his shoes and finally looked up… only to feel his insides freeze when Sophie was a step beyond the threshold. Hands on her hips, legs spread and face set in a scowl, she stared him down like a schoolmarm from hell. Midnight, the little sneak, curled around his feet with a yowl and a purr. Triumphant feline eyes sought his and Howl nearly hissed at the cat for telling on him to Sophie.

"You're not going anywhere without me," but Howl almost had a heart attack when he finally took in her pajamas. Dressed in shorts that barely covered her underwear and in a tank top that hugged breasts he refused to stare at, Sophie looked like a hooker with a temper. Those shorts complimented her long, elegant legs and the top revealed the flat planes of her abdomen, which dipped slightly to reveal the well trained muscles of a martial arts champion. Hair loose and wild, she looked irresistible, and with the memory of her blush last night firmly rooted in his brain…

Howl could not be held accountable for his actions.

An arm shot out to grasp Sophie and reeled her in, pulling her struggling body firmly against his. When she looked up to protest, he captured her lips with his own, sealing whatever she might have said into mere muffled exclamations. Her mouth opened and he took advantage of that, taking the time to explore the sweet, inviting cavern.

Until she bit him, reminding him this woman was not someone he could play with. Leaning back enough to allow her some breathing room, but not so far she'd retaliate, Howl panted against her cheek. "Sophie…" and he could not say anything more, forever speechless.

She seemed to melt when he spoke her name, and her body turned pliant, molding against his own with ease. Howl had never believed in soul mates, but at that moment, with their hearts thundering in their ribcages in unison… Howl could feel himself believe in fate. She tilted her head to gaze straight into his blue-green eyes, her own deeply conflicted and flickering with emotions he did not bother to try to understand.

"I can't…" she said, a little brokenly.

His guard slammed down like a stone door, and Sophie mourned the loss of the warmth she'd spotted just before he'd kissed her.

"Right."

She followed him indoors, locking the entrance, gaze glued to his back. He went back to his room, obviously no longer planning to head on out, and Sophie stared after him. Midnight followed, but Howl shut the door in the kitten's face, oblivious to the complaints the whippersnapper of a cat made quite loudly. Sophie tutted and the kitten went after her instead. She closed her own bedroom door, confused and near tears.

Without knowing why, she cried herself to sleep, wallowing in sorrow she did not understand.

**To be Continued…**

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**Howl is a man with needs… who cannot seem to read a single important document if his life depended on it.**

**Words: 700**


	20. Always six o'clock

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Male bonds and important documents.**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen  
Always six o'clock**

"You did _what_?" Calcifer asked, his voice breaking in sheer disbelief as Howl slumped in his seat. Alone in the conference room, getting ready to present the new plans and diagrams to the board, Howl took advantage of their dwindling time to reveal to his best friend what he had done that very morning. Disbelief shone in Calcifer's eyes as he stared openly at Howl, unable to understand what could have possessed the man to try and smooch the woman who kept him safe from harm. Of course, even he had noticed the unwavering beauty she had… but he'd never be stupid enough to try and play with a woman who could slap him nine ways to Sunday.

Howl was, indeed, a bigger fool than he thought.

When Calcifer saw the genuinely heartbroken look on Howl's face, instead of the usual melodrama or even a smile to diffuse the tension, he understood.

_Well… shit._

Recognizing that his friend was, for the first time, truly in love, Calcifer almost pitched a fit then and there. Of all of the people to fall for, he just _had_ to fall top over teakettle in love with Sophie 'Mad' Hatter. Brilliant, just _brilliant_.

Calcifer could see her rejection had deeply affected his friend.

Despite the fact he knew he'd come to regret helping his dumbass of a pal, he rolled his eyes and extracted a file from his briefcase. Shoving that in Howl's direction, he tapped it with his index finger. Howl made a face at him from the barrier of his arms, eyes glittering with unshed tears, and Calcifer almost pulled the file back.

"Read it, Howell Arthur Jenkins," Calcifer ordered, his eyebrow raising in a hop-to-it manner. The jet-black curtain of strands rose and parted, allowing Howl's face to emerge as he peered at the file. "Maybe with this you'll finally learn to read contracts."

Howl picked it up and ruffled through the sheets of paper, skimming the words then looking up at his partner, a quizzical turn to his brow. Deciding he'd done more than enough to help, Calcifer ignored him, instead busying himself by putting up charts and booting his laptop, connecting it to the overhead projector. As he riffled through the notes of his pitch, Calcifer peeked over them, watching with keen eyes as realization dawned on Howl.

"Sophie's contract..? What..?" he cut himself off, eyes finally landing on the clause that had broken his heart to smithereens in the wee hours of the pre-dawn morning. "No fraternizing with between client and protector…"

The red-head could have laughed at the awe-struck expression on his friend's face, but he held that impulse in check, instead amusing himself with watching the fleeting changes to Howl's face. One after another came and went, and Calcifer hid behind his sheets, refusing to look up anymore or risk guffawing merrily at the sight.

_I can't… _Howl remembered those words and the way her chin had trembled when she'd spoken them. With a sudden rattle, he stood, his chair falling back and landing loudly on the clean floor of the office. His entire body was shaking and his hands were restless, putting the papers back in the folder and handing them over to Calcifer. The red-head said nothing, knowing things would be more entertaining if he left it up to Howl.

"Do you think..? Should I..? Can you..? Alone..?" He kept looking at the door and Calcifer could already guess his intentions. Howl would have struggled longer had Calcifer not silenced him by gesturing grandly towards the exit… the way to Sophie.

"By all means."

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**As I said, Howl really needs to learn how to read important documents. **

**Sometimes, I think Calcifer should have just left well enough alone. Then again, there would be no point if they didn't get together, right? My inner gremlin just wanted them to struggle with it for a little longer.**

**Worry not; the next chapter is a little more plot-based.**

**Words: 600**


	21. How dreadfully savage!

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Police work and cryptic messages.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty  
How dreadfully savage!**

Sophie was the first to speak, and Michael shivered at the coolness in her voice. The temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing and the policeman shifted his weight, looking beyond uncomfortable to be the one to share the news with the young woman.

"What do you mean, there's no knife?" the curl of her lips was a threat, and Howl knew he was the only person in the room to find that expression endearing. Judging by the way the policeman had turned as pale as a ghost, the man found Sophie's looming presence to be quite the terrifying picture of horror.

Calcifer hid a smile behind his hand, both due to his amusement at the policeman's expense and at Howl's stupefied face.

"Well, ma'am, the gentleman didn't have it on him… and there were no tapes." The young officer's voice grew meek as the entire room seemed to become dark. Sophie's eyes glittered like the edge of a newly sharpened knife and the policeman shrank away from her, holding up his hands in a mute gesture of self-defense.

But this time, a threat loomed from his back as Howl stood from his seat, his own expression suddenly thunderous as he glared the poor man's self-esteem into the ground. "That is not possible," he growled in a low voice, looking even more dangerous than his bodyguard. Towering over the short police officer, dark hair framing his face, and his riches a guillotine over the man's career… Calcifer noted distantly that the poor officer looked about ready to pass out.

"I watched them bag the evidence and put them in the cars on-scene," Howl enunciated, as if he was speaking to someone who did not understand English. "The media even filmed it," he stated, and then his eyes flashed, a smile lighting up his face. "That's it!"

"What is?" Sophie snarled from her place on the other side of the officer, still glaring enough daggers to turn him into a circus pincushion.

"Why, Sophie dear, the media, of course!" Howl stepped around the frozen policeman and grasped the hands of his bodyguard, blue-green orbs dancing with glee as his mind whirled at incredible speeds, thinking up a thousand solutions to this problem.

"I don't see what they have to do with any of this," Sophie challenged, a stubborn set to her chin as she tried to pull her hands out of Howl's clasp, not succeeding in shaking him off. Michael glanced between the two, a little alarmed at the rapid change of pace.

"Only everything!" He said with an unnecessary cheer, sashaying around the room and dragging Sophie along.

Calcifer decided to step in, rolling dark eyes at Howl's usual antics. "You're an idiot, Howl," he reminded his friend before he turned to the forgotten policeman, who froze under his scrutiny. "Now, little blue pig, you will get out of here this instant, or I might just change my mind and vaporize you where you stand," he threatened lightly with a great grin quirking his lips, revealing long incisors. The policeman did not move a single inch, sweating bullets as Calcifer leaned in to whisper in his face. "I will discover who stole the knife and tapes from Evidence," he vowed.

He tilted his head and the man ran for his life, too terrified to remember than a normal citizen was unable to threaten a man of the law like that.

Michael came to stand beside Calcifer, ignoring the couple that continued to argue a little ways away from them. "Whoever it is trying to kill Howl, they're powerful enough to sway the police." There was steel in his voice and Calcifer was pleased to note Michael looked every bit as ready to face this threat to Howl as he was.

"I was afraid of that," the red-head drawled disinterestedly, since he'd already guessed it to be so. He had not thought their influence would stretch all the way to Cardiff, but it certainly narrowed the list of suspects. "Though, it is a helpful clue."

"What is?"

Calcifer's eyes were blacker than night and his smile was full of knives. "Now we know for sure it is a rival."

**To be Continued…**

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**Finally chapter 20! I'm beyond happy about this! No one else is, but I am practically hopping on sunshine. **

**By the way, I think it's high time I mentioned the origin of the title. In Japan, there is a game in which children form a circle around a child denominated the "oni". The go around as they sing a song, which is roughly translated into the following:**

**Kagome, Kagome  
The bird in the cage  
When will you come out?  
In the night of dawn,  
The crane and turtle slipped  
Who stands behind you right now?**

**The oni must guess who of the children in the circle stands behind him the moment the last verse is sung. If guessed right, the child who was behind him becomes the new oni, so on and so forth. **

_**Please review! Flattery would be appreciated, critiques would be cherished like gold and flames will be given to Calcifer as a snack!**_

**Words: 700**


	22. Who's making personal remarks now?

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Pride and a lot of chauvinism. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-one  
Who's making personal remarks now?**

Due to her lack of clothing, Sophie had insisted upon going back to her apartment to resupply. He decided to allow it, mostly because it meant she'd stop nagging. Generally, it did not bother Howl since she generally let him have his way in the end. But this time, Sophie was determined to make him do what she wanted.

Ironically, all it took was one pretty pout and a couple of flutters of long lashes. Howl was thoroughly going to pay for this.

Still, it pleased him to do what she had asked. Mostly because she finally decided to lift his probation off of him. Ever since he'd kissed her, she'd been on tenterhooks around him. Now, however, she was no longer stepping back from him every time he got close enough to steal a surprise smooch from her. As she unlocked her door, he realized how small her living space was. Even when she'd explained she only rented the place for when she had tournaments, it bothered him on some level that she should live in squalor when she was not in the least bit poor.

When he followed her into her room, despite her protests, he could not help the look of disgust that crossed across his face. Sophie glared, willing him to stay silent.

"Pack everything up," he said in half a snarl, sweeping into the room in a flutter of sleeves and sweet aftershave. "You're backing out of your lease; you will no longer need it."

In a flash, he packed up the sparse amount of clothing, toiletries and even some knick-knacks from the kitchen Sophie had brought from home. It wasn't much, since the young woman had almost Spartan habits when it came to homemaking and since this was not truly her home. Howl, however, was unwilling to see her continue to pay for a place that was not worth half of what she was spending on it.

"Never again, Sophie Hatter," he threatened, shoving her out the door and locking it behind them. She seemed ready to complain once more and Howl hushed her by shoving her against the wall, trapping her between his body and it. She knew then the man was sufficiently capable of protecting himself, because no matter how hard she tried, she was helpless to free herself from his superior weight.

"Never again," he vowed, sealing it with a kiss.

**To be Continued…**

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**Howl forgets to take into account that one often cannot rest the BEST AND BRIGHTEST possible place when the lease is a short one. It does the owner a disservice to rest a place to someone who will not stay when he can perfectly rent it to someone who will.**

**Sophie is a very practical girl, despite the fact that she's actually quite wealthy. Why? She's not used to spoiling herself.**

**She spoils her sisters rotten, though. **

**Words: 400**


	23. Your hair wants cutting

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Sophie gaining confidence.**

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**Chapter Twenty-two  
Your hair wants cutting**

It was rare for Howl to stay awake long enough to see Sophie emerge from her shower. Mostly, Howl went straight to bed the moment he got out of the bathroom and knocked out within the span of a couple of minutes.

Today, he'd been revising the last of the project they'd been working on, lying awake in his bed as he read, Midnight at his side.

Sophie emerged, rosy cheeked and fragrant in the perfume of her hair products, skin creams and the sweet almond and coconut oil she applied to her hair. She was still in the middle of finger combing her hair, firm believer in that using a brush would only make her unruly curls stiff the next morning.

Since tomorrow was her fight, Sophie had taken extra time to pamper herself, fairly glowing in the aftereffect of her skincare products, freshly plucked eyebrows and well toweled hair.

Howl could not even try to draw his gaze away from her, magnetized completely by the beauty she exuded with natural grace. He was not exactly a plain mocking bird, but he had not been born handsome. To see someone like Sophie in all of her splendor, it struck him deep and made his heart palpitate like he was eighteen and inexperienced all over again.

She spotted him awake and smiled genuinely, heading towards him in those sinful pajama shorts he should demand she burn and never again wear… and that tiny tank top that drove him over the edge. She came to sit at the corner of his bed, where Midnight promptly abandoned his post at Howl's side to curl up with her, purring like a motorcycle.

"What are you looking at?" She asked him, cocking her head slightly to the side and she threw her hair over a slim shoulder and kept finger-combing it.

It took him several moments to swallow the clichéd response of _'You_' and several more to get the willpower to look instead at what he'd been reading. "Boring work stuff," he answered, when he could not focus enough to actually read or remember the damn title of what he'd been perusing.

She laughed openly and he admired the curve of her throat as she threw her head back, completely enthralled by the elegance of her slender body.

"Your hair…" He couldn't stop himself and she hummed in askance, smiling at him still. "It… um… it's… lovely when you let it down." In the end, he was unable to back out of that one. In reality, he hadn't really tried, but he felt he could have phrased that much, much better.

The smile that blossomed was positively radiant, and Howl found he didn't care how stupid it had sounded when she reacted like _that_. Leaning in, a blush on her cheeks, she brushed a butterfly kiss against the corner of his mouth in thanks.

At that moment, Howl knew he'd look a fool however many times she wanted, consequences to his reputation be damned.

**To be Continued…**

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**Because Howl is that much in love… damn it, I'm going into fan girl mode now. I had been hoping to put it off a little longer.**

**Words: 500**


	24. I dare say there may be one

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Fighting and a not-so-long chapter.**

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**Chapter Twenty-three  
I dare say there may be **_**one**_

Saturday rolled around and dread pooled in Howl's stomach. Despite the fact Sophie had proved herself quite capable of winning this damn tournament, each and every fight made Howl nervous that his bodyguard would not walk away completely unscathed. She may grumble and snap insults like a particularly belligerent gremlin, but Howl knew her leg bothered her still. He'd taken her to the hospital on Thursday and he knew the hairline fracture had yet to heal.

So, obviously, she stood perfectly straight, without cast and cane, ready to greet her new opponent. As the representative of group B, Sophie would be fighting in the first category against the winners of group A, C and D. The other groups would be fighting at a later date, which was what prompted Sophie's weekly visits to the ring instead of the usual arrangement of starting since early to mash in all the fights and have the decided victor by late evening. In consideration for the fighters, the committee had lengthened the time to allow them to mend. Now, only once a week would a fighter march into the ring, giving them ample time to lick their wounds and come back ready for more.

Howl thought it felt more like the ticking, slow pendulum makings its steady and silent way to happily slice him open. Calcifer still thought the comparison was wrong, given that the genius who wrote that short story obviously did not have this kind of situation in mind. Howl had given him such a glare, Calcifer had remained silent the remainder of the drive to the ring. Even when Howl announced he'd stand by the ring, his partner did not join him, instead hanging back to keep the Hatter girls company in their respective seats.

Sophie waited at the very center, watching as the representative of group A removed his shirt and climbed in. The man was very tall, taller than even Michael, and though Sophie was above average height for a woman, she did not even reach his shoulder. Lithe and well muscled, he looked like a threat. When the bell rang, he proved to be fast… very fast. Barely leaning back enough to avoid his swat, Sophie used the momentum, to spin and slash at his face with her elbows, grazing him just below the eye. A shallow cut opened and bled steadily, but he did not even blink.

A swift uppercut went to retaliate and cracked across Sophie's face. Michael, next to Howl had to cover his ears because the young CEO of Pendragon and Co. snarled loudly. Like a rabid dog, he growled at Sophie's opponent. A calming hand, from Benjamin, landed on his shoulder, but Howl only got more worked up.

Back in the ring, Sophie was pushed back by the blow and she instinctively dodged the next one, half-blind. A kick aimed at her flank was caught and she twisted her opponent's leg savagely, hoping to break it. He flipped backwards, wrenching his leg back and rubbing it softly when he landed, a disgruntled expression twisting his lips. He was almost too slow to dodge the foot that tried to dislodge his jaw, but a quick hop backwards proved to be enough to jump out of Sophie's range.

He hurled insults at her like acid, but Sophie merely stared back unblinking at him, unnervingly calm. The man's temper flared and Sophie easily ducked under his arm. When a second uppercut sliced across Sophie's chin, Howl swore so vividly that Michael was looking at him in awe and delight. Sophie used the direction his blow, giving her space to kick up and back, performing a perfect split as her foot connected with her opponent's jaw and neck. Like a snapping rubber band, Sophie had pulled herself back in before the man could return the favor, spinning on a single foot to face him, but for naught.

The man was out cold.

The cheers that erupted were vicious in their volume, Howl among her chief supporters and she gave him a flat stare as she climbed out of the ring, gratefully taking the water Michael offered and accepting Ben's pampering when he pressed a cold bag of ice to her slightly swollen chin. Howl took control of her hands in his customary clasp and gently kissed her knuckles, savoring the way her cheeks turned bright pink. Dropping praises like rain, Howl lead her to her respective chair, sitting her down and chattering non-stop.

Old Benjamin Sulliman watched them interact with narrowed eyes, a frown marring his lips. Michael swiftly cut into their conversation, taking lead as the next pair stepped into the ring. Both Sophie and Howl politely allowed him to be a part of their conversation, smiling and nodding appropriately. Sophie listened with half an ear as she watched the fight, noting the strength, weaknesses and habits of both fighters. It did not surprise her when the man from group D clearly outmatched the representative of group C, but when the woman from group C lured him into her guard and knocked the man out with a single blow to the side of his head… Sophie sat up a little straighter, recognizing the hit she'd used to subdue her one female opponent in the last round.

The woman in the ring, with close cropped hair and dark eyes with a wild hint of blue in them, shot Sophie a cocky smirk. Sophie raised a single imperious brow, reminding Howl vaguely of Calcifer, and looked away, clearly dismissing the young woman who now stood steaming beside the referee as he declared her the victor. A ten minute break was offered to that she may rest, but the woman refused, explaining that she would fight _now_. The officials shrugged and beckoned Sophie inside, who removed the warm towel Howl had draped over her shoulders and handed Michael her water bottle. All three in her corner wished her success, but just before she ducked around to walk up the stairs and into the ring, Howl snagged her hand a second time.

"Good luck," he offered magnanimously and Sophie replied with a gentle smile. Despite the drying sweat on her skin and the way her hair looked a little more disheveled, Howl marveled at how still looked beautiful. She was dressed in a simple short sleeved shirt and loose pants, but she turned them into the richest garments ever worn. Hair the color of fire weaved over her forehead and eyes the sweetest shade of green sparkled at him… and Howl knew how far he'd fallen.

Releasing her hand, he stepped back, allowing her to slip through his fingers and into the ring. Standing proud and tall, confidence brimming with the brightness of a thousand suns, Sophie stared her opponent down. The woman jerked her head at Sophie in a hop-to-it gesture meant to annoy, but Sophie stared back placidly, completely at ease.

The woman yelled a war-cry and stampeded toward Sophie, who at the last possible moment vanished from her line of vision.

Howl felt his jaw drop when he saw Sophie cleanly jump over her opponent's head, using her as support to completely clear the other woman and land gracefully behind her. Thus a game of cat and mouse began, with the other woman rushing at Sophie like a mad bull would run at red and Sophie dodging her by a mere hair's breath. This, of course, made the other woman look like a fool and the crowd happily informed her of this.

A fire seemed to take light in her eyes and the woman roared, snapping a punch that grazed Sophie's shoulder. Smooth as butter, the woman that held Howl's heart in her hands slid into her opponent's defenses, whispered something and grabbed her outstretched arm. In a single movement, she threw the younger woman over her shoulder and into the fence. As the dark haired woman tried to stand, a foot slammed into her face with the mighty force of an anvil when Sophie executed an elegant roundhouse in the air, spinning like a dancer and landing beautifully. The arch of Sophie's kick had been impressive, given that she had launched into the air well before the woman managed to stand, measuring her spring so precisely it landed right on the other woman's ear, sliced across her cheekbone and broke her nose.

There was a moment of stillness as the crowd, and the referee, processed what had just happened in silence. When realization dawned, the cheering was loud enough to shake the entire area like an earthquake, making some people stumble with the sheer force of it. Sophie allowed the officials to crown her the winner before she left the ring, greeted just outside by her family, Calcifer and Howl. Michael as so excited he was bouncing on the soles of his feet and talking at speeds that only Sophie, Lettie and Martha understood. The youngest Hatter was not better off, just as excited and clearly sharing Michael's enthusiasm.

Lettie and Benjamin were much calmer but no less happy for her, praising her and patting her back encouragingly. Now, Sophie only had two more fights to go before finals. The next fights would be much more difficult, against much stronger opponents, but it would be a week before she had to face them. Benjamin patted her shoulder, but his eyes were grave.

"You will have to train, little one," he stated and it was not a suggestion. Sophie nodded, her own eyes severe and serious. "You may come to the house Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, we'll work then."

Michael's entire body language changed as he peeked down at Benjamin a little meekly, seeking his gaze. The older man smiled at him and waved a hand. "Michael may come as well."

Martha and her beau whooped loudly as they grabbed Sophie by the arms and steadily lead her to the car, talking her ears off.

Howl had stopped walking, staring at old Ben's back with a puzzled expression. Calcifer turned to look at him, a single brow arching to ask him the reason for his sudden halt without the red-head even having to put voice to the question.

"He has a house here too?" Howl asked. Though he knew Ben obviously stayed _somewhere_ with his wife and sister-in-law, he had not known the man had a house in Cardiff too. He's assumed the man had let an apartment, like himself and Calcifer, so it surprised him to hear he'd guessed wrong.

Calcifer rolled his eyes, begging the heavens for patience to deal with his friend's complete yet adorable cluelessness when it came to reality. "Yes, you peacock, he does. Did you not know? Our bodyguard's benefactor is quite wealthy. He even owns martial arts arenas where they host a few yearly tournaments. Curious, no?" The red-head then turned to walk away, joining the others within the span of a few long steps and leaving his partner behind. Though Calcifer did tolerate Howl very well, there were days when he could stand his friend no longer.

A smile escaped him, for today was not one of those days, no matter how much he liked to make Howl think it was.

Howl glanced over his shoulder and nearly face palmed when he saw the name of the arena he'd been driving to on a weekly basis.

_Sulliman Dome…_

Figures.

**To be Continued…**

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**My sister kept asking why her first opponent always aimed for her face. My clever response is that he's too tall to aim for anything else without having to crouch to punch it. **

**I'm a comedian at heart.**

**The Pit and the Pendulum was written by Edgar Allen Poe, for those of you who spotted the bright reference to it. For those who didn't… well, now you know!**

**Words: 1,900**


	25. He consented

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Real references from DWJ-sama!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-four  
He consented**

One of the negative aspects of officially living with Sophie, Howl considered, was that the woman had an incredibly deep well of energy… and the means to focus it on mildly destructive outlets. When she'd been merely sharing space with him for his protection, she allowed him to live like any man his age: in utter filth. Now that he'd personally cut her lease and claimed his home hers, she'd come undone and allowed her true nature to surge forth in a twister of cleanliness.

Howl could only sit back and watch as Sophie terrorized his prized spider collection from their homes, batting at them like a crazed baseball player. He'd intervened more than once on the argument that this was now serial killers started, slaying innocent creatures. Though he'd managed to save the lives of the arachnid population in his flat, Sophie had yet to cease and desist her efforts in turning his world upside down.

_Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely… _ the dark haired man mused as he pulled his feet up to avoid Sophie's vengeful broom from swiping him along with the dust and clutter that had accumulated over the week. Howl looked on miserably as Sophie pulled back her sleeves, revealing deceptively slim arms as she dominated a slow Sunday afternoon like a particularly annoyed _Valkyrja_.

He watched her kick up and savagely tear through the filth he reveled in with mournful eyes, but he received no sympathy from his roommate, who moved on from sweeping to mopping, swirling the mop in soapy water, wringing it and adding an undeniable shine to the floor the place had not seen since Howl had let it but a mere week ago. The air was now perfumed with the vanilla scented soap Sophie seemed to prefer and despite all of his grumblings; Howl could not help but admit that it was much homier without the vicious amount of dust, soot and bug-life. Even his beloved spiders looked much more at home, weaving new webs free from the dust Howl refused to clean. With a sigh, he allowed her to go on, though he drew the line when she attempted to stump her way into his room.

Almost like he'd transported himself, Howl stood between her and his door, moving uncommonly fast and barring her unstoppable cleaning frenzy. Despite the fact he quite liked her innovative renovations of his home, the idea that she might try to torment his room and tear it apart… it was an abominable thought. He was no longer a teenager and he had no playboy magazines to hide from curious cleaning ladies of doom, though he had no doubt if she found one she'd have a conniption and turn a fetching shade of scandalized red, but the sanctity of his room was in danger. In spite of it all, Howl was still an incredibly private man and he preferred his room to be set to his preferences rather than hers. God help him should she decide to shove her way past him and start alphabetizing his collection of books by publishing date, author and title. He shivered a little.

"Don't be nosy," he snapped when she tried to peek over his shoulder. Though she'd been in his room just two nights before, she had not looked around. Now that he was firmly in front of her to prevent her from peeking, her curiosity woke up and shone in her eyes like a laser beam.

"I'm not being nosy!" she argued, crossing her arms. Howl retaliated by propping his hands on his hips, blocking her view with the suit he loved to wear over his crisp, freshly starched shirts. "That room-!"

"You _are_ nosy," he said, as a form of rebuke. "You're a dreadfully nosy, horribly bossy, appallingly clean woman. You're victimizing us all." He included Midnight in his reprimand, for the young kitten was currently hiding under his covers, previously frightened and shooed by Sophie in her frenzy.

"Tidying up is what I'm here for!" she threw back into his face, and Howl resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Though he'd never discouraged her enthusiasm, her main concern had never been to chase him with the broom until he begged for forgiveness.

His anger sharpened his tongue as he tartly replied, "Then you need to think of a new meaning to your life."

Sophie looked positively wounded and Howl nearly dropped like a defeated dog at her feet. He hated getting angry because it never led him anywhere and he always ended up saying something he later regretted. Seeing the apology practically oozing from his pores, Sophie softened up a little. She knew she was making life a little difficult for him, though if she afforded herself the chance to face the _why_ directly, she knew exactly what was making her so reckless.

It did not mean she'd make it any easier for him, though. Only a little bit harder, that's all.

She therefore set the broom and mop aside, putting the pail with soapy water down as well. With a sigh, she gestured toward the puffed and newly vacuumed sofa. "Sit down and choose a movie, then. I'll make us some popcorn and we can order dinner." Howl surged forward and soundly kissed both of her cheeks in his joy, running into his room and rushing back out with Midnight and a movie in his arms.

"Ready!" He looked like a child who's Christmas had come a few days early, smiling so happily and cheerfully as he headed for the sofa. The look in his eyes was sweet, especially when she gave him permission to invite Calcifer over.

The neighboring red-head arrived with Michael in tow, who charged into the room with a bag of chips and a selection of dip. It was like some male-ritualistic version of a sleepover and Sophie almost giggled herself into a stupor as she popped the popcorn into the microwave and dialed for some pizza.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**_Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely_ – is a quote by the wonderful, and incredible P. J. O'Rourke. He has many others, but this one is the one that appeals to me the most… and reminds me strongly of Sophie and her sprees. **

**Almost none of the dialogue that appears is mine; instead aptly disfigured to suit my needs when it comes to trying to illustrate the life they may or may not should peace continue to hang on.**

**I'm a little worried. **

**It's the start of the third week and I'm not going for two months, but rather one. It hurts my heart to do so, but I cannot stay fully faithful to the DWJ timeline. I already tweaked it enough by going for March instead of May, now I'm shortening their period of time in which they fall in love. I am a horrible person.**

**Thoroughly unrepentant, too.**

**Words: 1,000 **

**PS… who else is laughing about the idea of a male-sleepover? Will they indulge in a pillow fight, I wonder?**


	26. I've had nothing yet

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Dog humor, cat humor and possibly hamster humor… though I don't remember where that went.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-five  
I've had nothing yet**

It was early Monday morning, as Sophie woke the three males curled up in the living room like puppies that had been romping, got tired and dozed off, that she realized Calcifer was a truly odd man. Unlike Howl and Michael, who instantly asked what was for breakfast, Calcifer rounded up on the logs Howl had left by the fire place.

"You bought this type again, you peacock?" he asked the sleepy CEO with too much ferocity for the normally placid Calcifer. "I've told you too many times, you buffoon! This wood is no good! It stinks up the place and fills it with smoke! Do you ever learn?" Angry lines decorated Calcifer's brow, and expression that did not suit him.

Howl, never the morning person, simply waved him off, waded through the maze of blankets over the floor and flopped down onto one of the four chairs around the table. Sophie handed him a little round pastry she'd made the day before between bouts of her spree, pulling Michael into a chair as he stumbled blindly out of the blankets. Only Calcifer, unusually active despite the fact he'd only slept three hours like everyone else, was in his full mental faculties. He snarled and shook the closest log at Howl, looking incredibly annoyed with his friend over such a simple matter.

Usually, Calcifer was the more subdued of the two, but Sophie found that on the right track of mind, Calcifer was a completely different person to deal with. That morning, Sophie discovered many a thing about the Vice-CEO who had solidified her contract with her charge.

He was incredibly knowledgeable about the strangest of topics, a fair master of anything pertaining to the world beyond the Earth, a wiz when it came to scented woods, and a complete encyclopedia of incense (according to Michael, his apartment smelled of cinnamon and peaches). By far, his favorite topic seemed to be talking about stars, describing them in great detail, so enthused he waxed lyrical. During the discussion over breakfast, Howl had not seemed the least bit surprised and Michael seemed used to it. Only Sophie's questions invigorated Calcifer and by seven in the morning, the red-head had completed a map of the current stars residing over Wales with a mix of Cheerios, blue berries and string.

As she shooed Calcifer and Michael out, urging them to go shower, she felt Howl trudge up to her side, still a little sleepy since he'd yet to have a bath that would put his mind to rights. Sophie laughed as the red-head had to be shoved into the room, still spouting facts about gravity, shooting stars and what minerals they were made of.

"Is he always like that?" she asked Howl, who yawned and gamely put his chin on her shoulder, blinking like a contented cat.

"Hm… not really," Howl replied lazily, wrapping his arms around her waist despite her vicious protests. "Believe it or not, Calcifer is actually painfully shy and emphatic towards others. He's a bit of a coward and very good at avoiding the things he does not like." As his best friend, Howl was well aware of Calcifer's every fault and vice versa.

He smiled ever so sweetly then, lost in the memories of boyhood and a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Sophie's breath caught and her heart wrenched at the sight, completely taken by the light in his gaze and the curl of vulnerable lips. He lifted his eyes and let her go, stepping back into the apartment.

"But he trusts and likes you," Howl's smile turned a little more impish, but the memory of his other unguarded expression would haunt Sophie's mind forever. Despite her best intentions, Howl was a sight to wring any female heart. With bright blue eyes the softest shade of sapphire, long tendrils of black hair framing a friendly face of high cheekbones and mischievous Cupid's bow lips, he could render a woman speechless with a single glance. Now, with an expression crossing between fondness and great love, he was the most beautiful creature Sophie had ever beheld.

"I'm glad."

He stepped back inside, and Sophie finally felt like she could breathe again.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**No matter how hard I try, they never deviate from the originals too much… or the do so in excess and leave me with monsters that write themselves no matter how much I try to control them.**

**Some say that makes a true writer, but I think a writer needs to think twice as long and as hard when making characters. It's a little disheartening that even when I solemnly consider them, they turn into beasts I had not meant them to become. **

**Words: 700**


	27. Tell us a story!

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Truths and mercenaries.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-six  
Tell us a story!**

In the end, both Calcifer and Howl ended up tagging along with Michael and Sophie as they went to their training session that Monday evening with Master Benjamin Sulliman.

As Michael and Sophie removed restrictive clothing and got into the ring in nothing but their plainest garments, Howl observed something he'd never noticed before. Shuffling to Ben, he plopped down and smiled when Calcifer followed, dark eyes bright with interest. The red-head still could read Howl like a book, so when he realized the older youth had a question, he was anxious to hear it.

"Sophie does not carry a gun?" Howl asked, noticing this when Michael had taken the time to remove a total of six guns from his person while Sophie had merely removed her suit, starched shirt, and pulled her hair up into a bun. Two under his arms, two on his ankles and two on his waist, Howl had almost expected Michael to pull a shotgun from his pants.

"No," Ben replied, a smile evident in his voice. "She's been trained to use them, and she's a wonderful shot, but she doesn't like guns. She can also dodge a bullet and there was once a case when she actually stopped one with her chain, but she hates utilizing the brute, cold force of such a weapon."

Calcifer made a face, looking a little distraught at the idea of someone licensed to use a gun and basically flushing the permit down the drain. "Don't throw pearls to pigs, I suppose…"

Ben turned to him and regarded him with eyes that speared into his very soul.

"No, dearest firecracker," the old man said, a winsome expression on his face. "Sophie is just a little more… discreet."

Howl still didn't understand, even as he watched Michael and Sophie warm up with hand-to-hand fighting and slowly move up from there. It greatly amused him when they even fought with a pair of nun chucks, screaming like Bruce Lee and obviously enjoying themselves even when they made mistakes and received a thorough scolding from the Master.

Howl was still puzzling over Ben's response at how _discreet_ Sophie apparently preferred to be… until he tried to hand Sophie's sweater to her and almost lost an eye when an arrow snapped past his face and lodged into the wall of the gym on Benjamin's property.

Discreet was _not_ the way he'd put it.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I just booby trapped Sophie's clothing and I'm proud of it. Think of them like one would think of Deadpool's suit… filled to the brim with explosives.**

**No, not really, but she does have a lot of surprises up her sleeves, kind of literally. Sophie's just that kind of awesomely twisted person that prefers the defense of a well-made knife to a gun. In reality, guns fail you all of the time because they either get stuck or run out of ammo. Knives don't, and with Sophie being so practical, I thought it best to leave her without weapons that use gunpowder (reminds me of Calcifer's statement of "**_**I hate the fire in gunpowder, they have no manners**_**" from the brilliant movie by Studio Ghibli).**

_**Ye may not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine, that they may not trample them among their feet, and having turned - may rend you. **_**– Is a quote from the bible (Matthew 7:6), a literal translation done by Young. There is another version which goes more along the lines of "**Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs…**", which ended up being what I had Calcifer quote given that he does not seem the type to quote in old-English. That's more Howl's job. **

**Words: 400**


	28. So they were

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Near-invisible clues.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-seven  
So they were**

Howl had always considered meetings with rival companies to be quite tedious. Into the second day of the week, it was difficult to slither out of the predicament his Vice-CEO gleefully placed him in. Calcifer hated meetings just as much as he did, but due to the nature of their job, it became half of the fun trying to dump the obligatory board meetings and conferences on each other. The younger, prouder businessmen associated of Pendragon and Co. took great offense to their games. The older board members had actually found their game to be quite amusing, looking forward to their more creative ways of ducking around the unpleasant factors of being two very successful entrepreneurs.

Today he was being forced to attend a meeting with a company that dealt in furniture, a field he and Calcifer had been exploring recently, using Calcifer's knowledge of wood to propel it and Howl's artistic talents to draw up lovely designs to decorate their customer's homes with. Apparently, the quaint and somewhat bizarre furniture had drawn more eyes than Calcifer had initially calculated, taking the whole industry by storm and spreading like wild-fire within the first months of its creation.

Obviously, their competitors were aggravated and more than a little annoyed at being overtaken by a pair of young men not quite yet into their thirties. Some had tried to cut them off, some had threatened, only one company had tentatively reached out, trying to lasso Pendragon and Co. into a mutually beneficial contract. Calcifer had been setting the meetings back for months now, due to the fact he and Howl had no plans to come to Cardiff. Forced by Sophie's schedule, they'd accepted the trip to the city and the meeting with Starr Inc.

The two men who greeted them with cheery handshakes were bores and Howl hardly listened to the first man introduce himself, then his partner. "Hello, gentlemen! My name is Justin Price and this is my second-in-command, Lyle Angorian," Calcifer greeted both with a great, polite smile and showed them to their seats. Before talks began, he offered them something to drink.

Both men refused and the men of Pendragon and Co. sat down with aplomb, ready to face the music and try to wiggle out of whatever negotiations Starr Inc. had planned. The meeting was a simple formality.

"So, Mr. Price, how may we help you?" said Calcifer.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I suck at suspense. And names… and OCs…**

**I should just stick to watching paint dry.**

**Words: 400**


	29. It's him

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Master Benji decides to play.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-eight  
It's **_**him**_

Howl realized his life was beginning to revolve around Sophie's needs. It irked him, a little, but it pleased him to co-exist with her on something as calming and simple as routine. That morning, he'd spent the day drawing new designs for bed posts and cabinets and had sent them to the master carvers who made them come to life. The owners of Starr Inc. had not been pleased by their refusal to their contract; in fact, one of them had been downright rude. Calcifer, however, had kept his head and explained that, under no uncertain terms, Pendragon and Co. was not interested in a contract that would ruin their chances in the market.

Truthfully, the contract they had offered had been almost insulting, trying to tie up every asset they had and leeching fully from their profits like parasites. Indeed, Calcifer had been extremely offended and had lavishly layered the insults thick once he and Howl were alone. Howl had tried to calm him down, but to no avail. The red-head's displeasure lasted the rest of the day and well into Wednesday, his temper simmering just under the surface as they sat on the bleachers. As the audience, they were close enough to hear snips of the discussion Benjamin was having with both of his bodyguards, but not enough to know what was happening when Michael walked back to them instead of climbing into the ring like he'd done on Monday.

Excitement was shining in his gaze as he reached them, sitting down next to his charge, though he fairly trembled with the force of his emotions.

"What is it?" Calcifer asked, his tone controlled despite the leftover rage from the meeting the day before.

The glint in Michael's eyes intensified as he answered, but he did not dare to look away from the center ring as Sophie climbed in, Master in tow. "Sophie and Master are going to fight," said he a little breathlessly. A maniac grin spread over his face like wildfire in a dry forest and the two men with him couldn't help but be infected by his almost delirious joy. "This is something you have _got_ to see. The show of the century! I mean, it's _him_!"

Both men turned to watch the spectacle as they separated to one side each, the entire room becoming unbelievably stifling as their tension and focus descended like a fog. The silence closed around them like an encroaching vine, tight and invisible around their throats. Howl felt his heart jump when Sophie shifted her weight.

As if a racer's gunshot had cracked through the air, Benjamin leapt with incredible speed, deep in Sophie's defenses and aiming a punch at her flank. Quick as a mink, Sophie blocked the blow by slamming the heel of her palm into his wrist. Her elbow came down to catch his hand, but Benjamin was already spinning away and delivering a lightning kick to her other side. Dropping like a stone, Sophie tried to pull his foot out from under him, but her delivery was weak and his leg, just over her head, came down like a guillotine. Her crouching position made defending herself very difficult but she threw up her arms to cross over her head, absorbing the blow.

With her arms numb, it was best for her to distance herself from him, which she did by jackknifing backwards, warding him off with a scissor kick that nearly nailed him on his chest and nose. Benjamin's eyes were bright but wary, and Sophie silently congratulated herself as she opened and closed her hands, encouraging blood to pump and bring back maneuverability to her limbs. Obviously, her master pressed his advantage, a swift delivery of punches and kicks that forced her back. A good defense was marvelous, but she'd never defeat him if she did not attack. Making up her mind, Sophie put her speed to good use, catapulting over him and trying to land a kick to the back of his neck.

Benjamin scoffed and performed a neat scorpion kick backwards, making Sophie lose a lungful of air when it landed cleanly just below her ribs. Breathless and disoriented, she landed with a painful grunt on the ground. She got up in record time, but the way she curled around her midriff told the story of the amount of pain she must be feeling. Coughing and hyperventilating, she kept her arms upraised and her guard up, eyes fixed on her mentor.

"Amateur tricks will not fool me, girl-child," the Master scolded in a gentle voice, though his tone was as firm as steel. Like a school teacher, he lectured her, but the light in his eyes told of an approval he was not willing to voice. "Again!" he demanded crisply, and Sophie obeyed, her breathing now fully under control.

The captivated audience was swept by the fight taking place before them, even if the difference between master and student was slim, yet as wide as the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes it looked like the battle leaned towards Sophie's corner then immediately tumbled back into Benjamin's lap. A great game of chess, played under their noses, but it was merely a teaching game. Despite Benjamin's continuous press for victory, he never followed through completely, pulling back just enough to allow his student the time to recover and try again.

Calcifer was having the time of his life, bad mood forgotten, but Howl was having an apoplexy where he sat. It unnerved him to see the invincible Sophie pushed around like she was nothing but a pup barely learning how to stand on legs that had yet to learn the art of walking. Confused and a little frustrated, it irked him to observe her in the position most of her opponents usually found themselves in.

It annoyed him to see her so helpless, and just as her eyelashes fluttered dangerously, close to passing out, he stood and hollered. "Get up!"

Like magic, her foot stopped her fall, and she straightened. No longer in danger of losing her consciousness, she stood her full height and treated her teacher to a glare most foul. Benjamin's mouth quirked and the light of pleasure that seemed to flit across his expression telegraphed that _this_ was what he'd been waiting for.

Sophie vanished, reappearing at his back, leg poised to snap across his face like a whip. Benjamin did not even bother to move, a serene look on his face despite the threat he could feel looming like an ominous cloud.

"Well done," he praised as from the bleachers, Michael cheered.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Ben Sulliman IS one of the greatest wizards known to man in the books. Thus, instead, I made him the greatest fighter. Makes skewed sense, does it not?**

**Think of him like Shifu, from the movie Kung-Fu Panda… except taller… and a little less mischievous. Though, if you ask Lettie, she'll probably tell you the man is the worst prankster in the world. And she'd very likely be right, if my previous record as a writer is anything to go by.**

**I'm keeping to a pretty straight schedule of days, though I was thinking of skipping a few soon. I'm planning on rounding this up at 40 chapters. Look forward to it!**

**Words: 1,100**


	30. Some severity

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Guns and bulletproof vests. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-nine  
Some severity**

Unlike the past training sessions, Sophie did not enter the center ring of the gym. The gym Benjamin had built was unnaturally large, with a tall ceiling held by metallic beams the size of a large man. Apart from the main ring, there were two smaller ones of each side, much like the settings of a circus tent. On the far end in front of the entrance, there was a fully equipped climbing wall, ropes Sophie often used to train upper body strength, and three wooden dummies Howl had only ever seen in old martial arts films. On the right wall, the area just beyond the further ring was littered with boxing gloves, padding, a soft helmet, crash mats and punching bags (large and small). To the left was a full Olympics gymnast training center, full of parallel bars, hoops, vaulting horses, spring boards, trampolines and balance beams. Just beyond the left wall was a door that led to the indoor swimming pool where Sophie had taught Martha how to do the backstroke and how to open her eyes underwater. From the ceiling, there was an entire world of ropes, bars, grips and a work of trapezes that looked like a maze of shapes. Howl had never seen Sophie up there, but when he'd pointed it out; she had merely shrugged and said something he never forgot:

"_It's much more difficult at Kingsbury. There, Master put up lasers." _

Howl had a hard time believing Benjamin Sulliman was not Wales' version of Batman after that, training his personal fleet of Robins. It was a frightening idea to entertain, though Howl would have been happy to accept Benjamin as a vigilante in a cowl. Nobody could sell the idea of safety like one Benjamin Sulliman and his army of able bodied young men and women he personally trained for combat at Porthaven Protection.

To warm up, Sophie went up to the parallel bars, spinning from one to the other elegantly, performing precisely timed jumps and tumbles in all directions. Sometimes, Howl's breath caught when the bar grazed by Sophie's nose. Other times, his heart leapt like a living thing into his throat, when he thought she had missed her hold and would land on the hard mats below.

Expertly, Sophie handled herself until her master ordered her down. She gave one last switch, moving from a counterclockwise swing, changing hands and sides, returning to swing with her full body extended in the other direction. Tucking her body in, she threw herself up and over the taller bar, twisted to catch it and used the momentum from the force of her jump and gravity to pump straight into the air. In a series of corkscrews and somersaults, she landed on the mat lightly facing Howl and Calcifer, who stared at her with their mouths hanging open. She flashed them a saucy grin, a rare sight on Sophie's face, but both leaders of Pendragon and Co. were beginning to learn Sophie's true character was much more wicked than she truly let on. The amused glint in Benjamin's eyes gave him away, but he did not remark on her actions, instead telling Michael to get up there.

This was when, through the open V neck of Sophie's soft cotton shirt, Howl thought he spotted an odd contraction wrapped around the vital areas of her body. Instead, Benjamin instructed her to make quick work of the balance bars and stretch. Quickly, she did was she was told as Michael took to the parallels, swinging just as confidently as Sophie had done.

Benjamin bellowed instructions in a way that Calcifer would have never guessed the man could even attempt. At odd intervals, Lettie or Martha popped in, bringing refreshments and calling encouragements for the two bodyguards training.

Finally, he called both of them down. Michael collapsed in a heap, dead tired after the invigorating work-out. Sophie was still standing, having barely started sweating and controlling her breathing to steady inhalations and strong exhalations that slowed her heartbeat. Again, Benjamin diverged from the other two sessions by leading them all outside and putting a gun in Michael's hand.

He ordered Sophie to stand on the other side, handing her a square pouch which she attached to her hip. Facing Michael, Sophie pulled a bug-worm that led the chain in the pouch. Metal chinks sounded like musical bells and Sophie's eyes flashed. Michael fired the first shot, with a ringing crash, it was deflected.

Benjamin taunted them both, even as both Calcifer and Howl stood sweating bullets at his side. They watched with frightened faces as both bodyguards brought childhood comics books to life in a whirlwind of acrobatic movements of limbs that sometimes beat the speed their eyes could register properly. Sophie became a tornado of flashing lights, blocking each and every shot with her chain. The bug-worm in her hands lengthened into a blade and she broke into a blinding run, heading straight for Michael. Undaunted, the boy began to fire shots much faster, running out of ammunition and simply drawing a different gun, indifferent to the loss of the other one. With no time to reload, he preferred to simply drop the first firearm and start over. Even then, Sophie was gaining on him and no matter how many times he fired, she was still coming closer. Like a devil with her heart set, Sophie was almost mercurial in shape, smoothing round the bullets she could not block with her chain.

One nicked her cheek, but she sacrificed that moment to plant herself right under Michael's guard, using the blade at the end of her chain to threaten him to drop his weapon. Michael's lips turned up into a smile and they laughed together, enjoying the rise of adrenalin their small "battle" had drawn from them.

Howl was gasping like a fish, holding onto an equally shocked Calcifer with all of his strength. Benjamin rolled his eyes at them and sighed.

"They're both suitably protected," he informed them in an almost lazy reproach. "Sophie's got one of my specially made vests under that shirt." He refrained from mentioning the way Sophie was slightly staggering where she stood, unstable on her feet. Michael helped in hiding it by wrapping a chummy arm around her shoulders, firmly pressing her to his side and leading her indoors. He took her to the mats, and sat down with her, deciding unanimously that they both needed a good stretch.

Despite the flamboyant air about the younger male, or perhaps because of it, Calcifer's dark eyes were keen and interested.

_Curious, no?_

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I had already pointed out that Sophie could dodge bullets, but mind, she's not super human. Her speed was enhanced through discipline, but it is also due to past traumatic experiences. Need triggers adrenaline and Sophie reacts with lightning speed. Previous experience made her impervious to the damages caused by the severe muscle strain she has whenever she moves too fast for a normal human body to handle, but it always makes itself known.**

**There are downsides to every power. **

**And yes, I did a full fledged research on all of the equipment I mentioned. If I got anything wrong, let me know. Also… I am aware of the sheer amount of Batman references I put in this chapter. What can I say? I'm a fan.**

**Words: 1,100**


	31. Then the Dormouse shall!

**The Bird in a Cage**

**Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.**

**WARNING: Truths and whys of Markl. **

* * *

**Chapter Thirty  
Then the Dormouse shall!**

"Tell me about the Dark Tournament."

It didn't surprise Sophie Howl knew (Master Benjamin liked to put it in her résumé), but it surprised her he'd gathered the courage to ask. He'd been jittery since they'd left the Master's mansion up by Northern Avenue, almost trembling by the time they'd crossed the river and taken up Cardiff Road. When they'd parked at their designated spot at the newly converted Old Police Station parking lot, Howl was practically dragging her up the stairs to get to the relative privacy of their two-room flat.

She sighed and gestured for him to sit. He hesitated, hovering at her elbow before she gently nudged him toward the sofa, sighing softly. "I'll make us some tea, this may take a while."

He nodded, a serious twist to his lips, and Sophie's heart wrung at the sight of it.

Once he was sitting down with a purring Midnight in his lap, she retreated to the safety of the kitchen, taking deep gulps of air. Deciding it was best to leave the panic until she faced the problem, she steadily calmed herself down with the soothing rigors of routine. Carefully filling the teakettle, bringing out a decorative tray and arranging the tea set, she began to feel her heart slow. By the time she was pulling out the tea leaves and opening a few packets of biscuits, her hands were no longer shaking. The teakettle whistled shrilly as the water began to boil and she poured the hot water into the tea pot, making sure the leaves were in the proper net. Turning off the heat, she put the kettle back, to ensure it would stay warm in case Howl decided he wanted another cup. As the tea began to steep, she pulled honey, cream, lemon and sugar out, placing them into the tray. An afterthought, she also added two cups of water, to wash out the taste of the tea.

If Howl realized she was stalling, he said nothing from his place as The Lap. Once the tea was ready, she went out, balancing the tray on steady hands and placing it on the low coffee table. Howl helped her set everything out and she nearly thanked him for not remarking on the amount of things she'd brought. She poured him his cup, handed it over, then poured her own, taking up a spot on the adjacent seat. Midnight refused to leave Howl, especially when the young man offered the cat a little sugar cube to entertain him.

Sophie realized this was his silent way of encouraging her. Patience had never been his strong suit, but he quietly sipped his tea as she gathered her thoughts.

"Papa left us with a rather large debt," she began and willed herself to continue. She and her sisters never openly discussed this, so it was a little hard for her to pull it all out and open old wounds. "He was an avid gambler, you see. Used to be good at it, got my sisters and I through school, but it became less of a business and more of a game. That was when he ran into the Witch and she pulled him in like a fish. He died of some form of sickness, quick and fatal. Fanny, my stepmother, she…"

Here Sophie paused, dragging in a ragged breath. Her own father's death she could speak of, after the years living the nightmare he left behind she had hardened herself with righteous anger and hatred towards him. But it hurt to talk about the woman who had burned herself out to save the lives of her daughters.

"Fanny was a fair wondrous person. She had always been sweet on Lettie and me, even though she wasn't our _mam_. Martha takes after her, in looks and in personality. The dear lady only lasted a year at the job she took. She was working at a local bar and during one of those random spring showers; she got soaked to the bone and fell ill. It wasn't near quick enough but she faded as surely as a flower in winter. The debts were enormous and despite all of Fanny's efforts, she barely managed to pay three percent of the total. With the way the Witch increases the amount by five percent per year, in the end, Fanny couldn't even dent it." Sophie laughed a little bitterly then, her cup left forgotten on the table as she gripped her own hands hard.

Howl feared reaching out to touch her, because she looked so fragile that moment she would have probably broken into little pieces had he tried.

Something in Sophie's gaze hardened then, and Howl found himself face to face with the she-warrior who downed opponents as easily as she breathed. "The Witch came at us then, the damned hag, taking us hostage. She put us in a cage and put one of her fighters with us. Those men were like dogs to her, coming when she whistled, attacking when she demanded it… apparently; we were meant to be some form of prize for this fighter. I did not know this until later, but he had instructions to do as he pleased with us. Given his record with underage girls, I assume he would have done more than just scruff us up a little." That notorious little twist of her lips was back, an unpleasant smile that reflected exactly what Sophie thought about this man.

She shrugged, looking mildly mocking in her utter contempt at the man. "He got a surprise from me, though. I'd never fought before, but I excelled at sports in school. Desperation made me deadly and when he dove for Lettie… I knocked him out cold. I refused to kill him, though. Due to his defeat, she promised me I'd be able to buy my way out of debt by taking his place in the tournament. See, every rich somebody in this country puts up a team of five fighters, mostly criminals and underworld dwellers that never see the light of day. Once a year, they hold these bloody competitions worldwide, but here in Cardiff, they go on every day. I was unlucky enough to have been enrolled in the Witch's team in time for the Dark Tournament."

Howl held her hand this time when she paused, momentarily unable to go on. She sent him a smile, but it was an absent one. Lost in memories, she continued to tell him, unable to stop now that the dam had broken. "The Dark Tournament is allowed only because it keeps criminals from acting up too much, and since they're only slaying each other, the government turns a blind eye. Unlike the usual underground tournament, the Dark Tournament is ten times more lethal, since death is a viable option. Here in Cardiff, the Money-bags don't usually like to lose their folks in fights. When death was allowed, they lost fighters too quickly and could not replace them fast enough to keep up with the cycle of battles. The Witch had a very good team, but none of them held any love for me, of course. Two of them were in a similar situation, but the Witch had informed us that only one would receive the boon of freedom. That year, I won every fight… she didn't give my freedom. Instead, she upped the percentage of interest and stuck my sisters in a cell. For another year, I fought, both in the district fights and the tournament. Again, she gave the boon to another fighter. The third year I won so much money she could no longer keep my sisters in that damnable cage, buying their liberty. By that time, I had a reputation as the 'Mad Hatter', later changed to 'Mad Steel Hatter', though I never understood why.

Near the end of the fourth year, we were out of her clutches, almost. That was when she stuck me in the Dark Tournament saying it would be the last time, because I would pay off what was left of the debt. During the finals, they put me up against a man known as Jack 'The Ripper' Manson. Well known criminal, all-round nasty piece of work. In fights, he habitually tore his opponents to pieces." She pulled back her long sleeve, revealing a thin scar that ran from her outer wrist to the inner part of her elbow. It was clean, though some of the edges were a bit jagged. "He used a fire poker that had an inner heating system, making every mark he could leave on his victims scorch like cattle prods. The knife end was dull, making the wounds much more painful, but the heat tore flesh where the blade could not. I knew I couldn't lose, it was my last chance at finally being free and I was not about to screw it up. I had finally gathered enough money to pay for Lettie and Martha's schooling, outside of debt money, and I knew that if I lost, the Witch would find a way to take it all and put them in the ring in my stead."

Sophie took a deep breath as her body began to shake with unnamed hatred at the woman who had cost her so much and at the man who had left her body riddled with enough scars to paint a tiger. "The Ripper nearly had me, I was half-unconscious by the time Master managed to round up the officers. All I can remember about that moment is when that horrible, horrible man tried to dive at Martha, since the cops had blocked his path to me. I still don't truly know what happened, but whatever it was; Master Ben informed me at the hospital the next morning I was to become his very best bodyguard." She smiled a little now, a tear escaping from the sheer relief she still could feel vibrating through her bones. The sight of the Master's genteel visage could still inspire a feeling of warmth and safety, despite all of the years she'd lived far from the dark shadows of her past. "He offered us a place to stay, of course, and I refused. Instead, I let a flat with my sisters, to show my independence. It was a cheap place, full of rats and other pests, but it was _ours_. The girls were just happy that I was alive and I was glad to spend my days with them. This was way out past Ingary, though I had to travel there by bus to train with the Master as future bodyguard. It was around this time when I ran into Michael. Poor boy had recently lost his parents in a boating accident and his landlord kicked him out because the kid couldn't pay. With nowhere to go, he'd collapsed outside the door of our one-room squat. Of course, we took him in. Silly boy, nearly fourteen and he didn't look a day over ten…"

Howl placed one of the tall glasses of water into Sophie's hand. She thanked him and took a grateful swing, downing nearly half of the contents. Talking makes one thirsty, and Sophie found that speaking of painful things parched one's mouth as well as their soul. "I thought perhaps he wasn't getting enough to eat and my sisters certainly spent plenty of time fretting over him. Martha, what with her dreams of being an apprentice chef, slaved for hours in the kitchens daily to make him something good. Our own landlord was very kind, a sweet little Japanese man who insisted we call him Miyazaki-sensei. He was especially fond of Michael; despite the fact the poor man could hardly even pronounce his name. Miyazaki-sensei died not too long ago, from a sickness known as Pott disease. When he did, his children turned us out and sold the building for the construction of a new mall. The Master insisted we stay with him and that's where we've stayed since. Lettie married him not long after I turned twenty and Michael took up training with me during months prior." She sighed, shaking her head and putting the glass on the table next to her now cold tea. Howl noticed his own had grown icy in the time she'd spent chatting, but he found he didn't mind. In his lap, Midnight was already deeply asleep.

To his left, on the wall, his small clock chimed that it was already an hour past. He blinked, surprised it had taken so long, but unwilling to call it a night despite the late hour. Sophie noticed the time and smiled a little forlornly, shaking her head.

"It's about time we head to bed, but…" she paused and patted his hand. "Michael became a bodyguard because we found him. Sometimes, I regret having led him to such a difficult life… however, Calcifer is his first mission and he seems to be doing very well. "

Her smile was positively radiant and a little askew, but Howl decided he didn't mind the crookedness if her grin when she dropped a kiss onto his cheek.

"I'm glad to have met you two."

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**I actually managed to implant Miyazaki-sensei as an OC! I'm so beside myself, I can reach out to punch me in the face. **

**By the way, Pott disease is a sort of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis that dwells in the spine. Pott cannot cause death, since it is not exactly life-threatening, but it can lead to a vast number of complications for one's health. Hayao Miyazaki-sama's mother suffered from Potts and our beloved Diane Wynne Jones died of lung cancer, so I decided to go with something related to the lungs. One CAN die indirectly from Pott and tuberculosis because it weakens the body enough that HIV can infect with ease, often prompting a **_**66 percent death rate**_**. **

**Technically speaking, Miyazaki-sensei, the man who dubbed Michael "Markl", died of HIV. **

**I never thought I'd get around to explaining that! Miracles do happen!**

**The Dark Tournament was inspired by the tournament with a similar name featured in Yu Yu Hakusho, except with some slight differences. I hope it wasn't too hard to follow. I had to really put myself to the test because, like Calcifer, I SUCK at laying it on thick.**

**I prefer hints and tiny little splashes of color here and there. So much more manageable. **

**To be perfectly clear, I had already decided on the location of Benjamin's house in Cardiff and Howl's luxurious two-room flat. I just never found the need to describe them… but now that I did, it makes me want to change locations, just because I can. **

**Remember, dearies, Ingary (my fake village) is north of Llanarth, a small village in Ceredigion, Wales. This place is up near the coast; the place I chose Sophie would live in is much closer, sort of like Porthaven, where Michael comes from. This closeness to the sea and Ben's own origins being what they are, is also why I chose to call his company Porthaven Protection.**

**The man Sophie fought is a nasty mix of Jack "the Ripper" and Charles Manson, though I didn't get the chance to fully develop him. Pity…**

**Words: 2,200**


End file.
